Buddhism 101

Lesson 4: Buddhism Around the World

Our final lesson looks at how Buddhism changed and grew as it traveled to new lands, and where the major schools of Buddhism are now best represented. An overview of the impact of Buddhism on the Western world will also be made.

Buddhism has been, and is still, a major missionary force. Unlike many of its Western counterparts, Buddhism never succumbed to the temptation of using violence to spread itself – its doctrines of non-violence were just as compelling for those to whom it came. It began in India, and now is largely gone from there, at least in its Indian form. However, it began to spread early, and has taken root all over Asia, from the northern reaches of Mongolia to the southern tip of Thailand, from the island of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean to the island of Japan in the Pacific. It has spread in what is the most populous region of our planet, and has become thoroughly intertwined with many of the local cultures to the point of being absolutely integral.

All three schools are not equally represented by population, but all three do boast large numbers of adherents, and all are still forces in our present world. Theravada has taken root in the old missionary grounds of Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Mahayana has made its presence known, counting over half of the world’s Buddhists as its own, in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Vajrayana Buddhism has exploded in Tibetan and Mongolian culture, and in recent years has found itself the most easily exported version of Buddhism. As well, all three of these schools are finding new popularity in the western world – in the nations of Europe and the Americas, Buddhism is finding new life.

Following this lesson we will have our final lesson test. It will again be five questions, and will test your ability to distinguish between trends we will find in the different nations in which Buddhism has grown. As well, we will have our final set of analytical exercises. As before, these exercises will strengthen your ability to critically examine the material we have covered. In these exercises you will be asked to speculate on the future of Buddhism. As in other exercises there are no correct or incorrect answers – the purpose of these questions is to have you use your powers of investigation and synthesize the material in a meaningful way, and attempt to make relevant predictions about the direction into which Buddhism is headed. The best way to predict the future is to have a solid understanding of the past, and this lesson will provide you with a brief history of the dissemination of Buddhism over time and around the world.

Finally, there will be a twenty-five question multiple choice final exam. Feel free to review the material, and know that the tests in this course are provided to help you increase your knowledge of Buddhism, not to determine your knowledge of Buddhism.

Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia

Theravada Buddhism still exists in our time, and many feel that it is virtually unchanged since the time of the historical Buddha. While this is hotly debated, it can be said with certainty that Theravada Buddhism has become closely linked with several cultures found in Southeast Asia, permeating everything from everyday politics to popular legend.

One of Theravada’s greatest strongholds may be found in Sri Lanka. Legend has it that Ashoka’s son, who was a Buddhist monk, brought the tradition there. Though he may not have flown through the air to arrive there, as the story goes, evidence does suggest that Ashoka sent his son to preach to the people of Sri Lanka. As Buddhism died out in its birthplace of India, it remained strong and alive on this large island at the tip of the subcontinent. Through the centuries of colonization by Europeans, it began to slowly but surely give way to Christianity, until the last century, when several revival movements brought Buddhism back to the fore. A leading member of this revival was Colonel Henry S. Olcott, who strongly championed the Buddhist education system, and who is also responsible for designing the now popularly accepted Buddhist flag. Sri Lanka is now a popular site for the publishing of much of Buddhist literature.

Early in Buddhism’s proselytizing efforts, much of the Southeast Asia region was targeted. Regions that would later become Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and also Laos would offer large numbers of converts to the early Buddhist missionaries (some of these regions also had very strong Hindu communities). Though close to what would later become the major Mahayana centers, such as China and Vietnam, these regions would remain true to their original Theravada roots.

Buddhist culture is especially strong in Thailand. Quite often we will see statues of a very sleek and slender Buddha who seated upon a lotus flower with many petals – quite often these are in the Thai tradition of representing Buddha. The rulers of Thailand have long since been involved in Buddhism – at times, kings would even become involved and instrumental in the reformation of the monastic communities. As well, it has been traditional that kings spend some time in the monasteries – it is thought to be critical that able rulers learn both to lead their people ethically and to be a positive force on the Buddhist monastic community. Political involvement with Buddhism is popular in Cambodia in the modern day, where politicians express their unity with the monastic communities in order to gain greater favor with the people of that nation.

Buddhism is a trend setter in its missionary efforts – it was the first tradition to readily adopt the vernacular in any region it entered. Today we can find texts in a variety of languages and dialects, such as Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, and many works in Thai, Cambodian and Burmese. Adoption of local language and dialect is a major reason why Buddhism is quickly and gladly accepted in so many regions.

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