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Buddhism (Chiangmai Thailand) # 1

2008.11.15

This article concerns the concept of Sangha in Buddhism. For information on other senses, see Sangha (disambiguation).

Sangha (Pali: saṅgha; Sanskrit: संघ saṃgha) is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose. It is commonly used in several senses to refer to Buddhist or Jain groups.

Traditionally, in Buddhism Sangha almost always has one of two meanings: most commonly, Sangha means the monastic Sangha of ordained Buddhist monks or nuns. In a stricter sense, Sangha can mean the assembly of all beings possessing some high degree of realization, referred to as the arya-sangha or "noble Sangha" or assembly of seekers seeking what is real and true, as in "Satsang". This article deals primarily with the subject of the monastic Sangha.

Buddhists traditionally consider monastic life to provide the environment most conducive to advancing toward enlightenment, and the Sangha is responsible for maintaining, translating, advancing, and spreading the teachings of the Buddha. According to the same tradition for a country or nation to be considered as truly Buddhist,

the majority of the nation must be Buddhist and include at least a fourfold sangha of bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas and, upasikas. That's why there is also a tradition of yogic tantric practitioners who are laypeople but still buddhist practitioners.

In Buddhism, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha each are described as having certain characteristics. These characteristics are chanted either on a daily basis and/or on Uposatha days, depending on the school of Buddhism. In Theravada tradition they are a part of daily chanting:

The Sangha: "The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples (Savakas) is:

practising the good way
practising the upright way
practising the knowledgeable or logical way
practising the proper way;
that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals - This Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples is:

worthy of gifts
worthy of hospitality
worthy of offerings
worthy of reverential salutation
the unsurpassed field of merit for the world."

Buddhist art originated on the Indian subcontinent following the historical life of Gautama Buddha, 6th to 5th century BCE, and thereafter evolved by contact with other cultures as it spread throughout Asia and the world.

Early Buddhist art followed one Indian aniconic tradition, which avoids direct representation of the human figure. Around the 1st century CE an iconic period emerged lasting to this day which represents the Buddha in human form.

Buddhist art followed believers as the dharma spread, adapted, and evolved in each new host country.

developed to the north through Central Asia and into Eastern Asia to form the Northern branch of Buddhist art,

and to the east as far as Southeast Asia to form the Southern branch of Buddhist art. In India,

Buddhist art flourished and even influenced the development of Hindu art,

until Buddhism nearly disappeared in India around the 10th century due in part to the vigorous expansion of Islam alongside Hinduism.

From the 1st to the 7th centuries, Buddhist art in Thailand was first influenced by direct contact with Indian traders and the expansion of the Mon kingdom

leading to the creation of Hindu and Buddhist art inspired from the Gupta tradition, with numerous monumental statues of great virtuosity.

From the 9th century, the various schools of Thai art then became strongly influenced by Cambodian Khmer art in the north and Sri Vijaya art in the south,

both of Mahayana faith. Up to the end of that period, Buddhist art is characterized by a clear fluidness in the expression, and the subject matter is characteristic of the Mahayana pantheon with multiple creations of Bodhisattvas.

From the 13th century, Theravada Buddhism was introduced from Sri Lanka around the same time as the ethnic Thai kingdom of Sukhothai was established.

The new faith inspired highly stylized images in Thai Buddhism, with sometimes very geometrical and almost abstract figures.

During the Ayutthaya period (14th-18th centuries), the Buddha came to be represented in a more stylistic manner with sumptuous garments and jeweled ornamentations. Many Thai sculptures or temples tended to be gilded, and on occasion enriched with inlays.

See also: Thai art, Buddha images in Thailand

Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices, considered by most to be a religion,[1] but not by all. A Buddhist is one who takes refuge in The Three Jewels: the Buddha (the Awakened One), the Dharma (the Teaching of the Buddha) and the Sangha (the Community of Buddhists). Depending on the source, the number of Buddhists in the world ranges from 230 million to 500 million. Most Buddhists live in Asia, but adherents are found worldwide.

Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as "Buddha", who lived in the northeastern region of the Indian subcontinent. He probably died around 400 BCE. Buddhists recognize him as an awakened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end their suffering by understanding the true nature of phenomena, thereby escaping the cycle of suffering and rebirth. Among the methods various schools of Buddhism apply towards this goal are: ethical conduct and altruistic behaviour, devotional practices, ritual and the invocation of holy beings that help them achieve Nirvana, renunciation of worldly matters, meditation, study and the cultivation of wisdom.

"Buddha" is actually a title, meaning the "Enlightened One" or, more literally, "Awakened One".

Buddhism has spread through these main branches:

Theravada, which extended south and east from its origins and now has a widespread following in Southeast Asia.
Mahayana (including Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren and Vajrayana), which diffused from its origins west, north and east throughout East Asia.
Both branches then spread further into Europe and to the Americas.

Buddhist schools disagree on what the historical teachings of Gautama Buddha were, so much so that some scholars claim Buddhism doesn't have a clearly definable common core.Also, there is significant disagreement over the importance of various scriptures. For instance, the Tipitaka's Nikayas (Agamas to Mahayana Buddhists) are recognized by most Buddhist schools. However, in addition to this, the Mahayana branch regard the Mahayana sutras as more significant, scriptures that the Theravadins find irrelevant. Also, Vajrayana Buddhists find great value in the Tantras.

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