Description
Buddhism is a philosophical and religious movement that, according to tradition, was founded by Gautama Buddha. The goal of Buddhists is to be liberated from the cycle of rebirth, thus never having to suffer again. Buddhism gradually spread to other parts of Asia and has played a central role in the spiritual, cultural, and social development of the Eastern world. Today, Buddhism has approximately 415 million followers worldwide. Avoiding all wrongdoing, pursuing good deeds, and developing one's own mind; this is the teaching of the Buddhas. Buddha (Dhammapada verse 183)
Lumbini (also: Lumbini Aadarsha) is a village development committee (VDC; Nepali: panchayat) in southern Nepal on the border with India. It is the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, who lived from 623 to 543 BC. Lumbini is one of the four most important pilgrimage sites related to the life of Buddha. Lumbini has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Because it is such an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists worldwide, Lumbini boasts many different Buddhist elements from various countries. The area includes a Chinese Buddhist temple, a Burmese pagoda, and Tibetan prayer flags and Korean Buddhist lanterns hang near the bodhi tree. Buddhist temples from the main Buddhist denominations are located here. In 2013, a Buddha statue was discovered at the Maya Devi temple in Lumbini, considered the oldest in the world, dating back to the 6th century BCE. Instead of attaining one's own salvation and Buddhahood, the Mahayana tradition considers the bodhisattva ideal its primary goal. The bodhisattva promises to postpone his own full enlightenment and return to earth repeatedly to help everyone, until all living beings are liberated. This emphasizes humanity. The Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan people, the fourteenth lama living in exile in Dharamsala, is considered the Bodhisattva of Compassion. He returns to earth repeatedly to help people on their path to enlightenment.
