Theravada Buddhism
Since its origination from India, the Buddha Dharma was propagated beyond India, and broadly divided into “Northern Buddhism” and “Southern Buddhism“.
Northern Buddhism spanned northwards of India, from Central Asia to China, Tibet, Mongolia and onwards to Japan, Korea, Vietnam. This is now commonly known as Theravada Tradition.
“Southern Buddhism” represents Buddhism as practiced in Sri Lanka and countries in Southeast Asia, especially Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia and some parts of China in Yunan province. This is now commonly known as Mahayana Tradition.
Core to Southern Buddhism teachings, which became what is commonly known as Theravada. It refers to when Buddha Sakyamuni first turned the Wheel of Dharma, where teachings including the 4 Noble Truths were expounded.
The main practice of Theravada can be said to be the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness”. Here, mindfulness is to be applied to four domains, “constantly watching sensory experience in order to prevent the arising of cravings which would power future experience into rebirths”, in other words, to be liberated from delusions, so as to attain Nirvana.”
These four domains are:
1. mindfulness of the body ;
2. mindfulness of feelings or sensations;
3. mindfulness of mind or consciousness and
4. mindfulness of dharmas.
These teachings bring out the essence of the Buddha Dharma, or the Truth, known as the Four Dharma Seals:
1. All compounded things are impermanent;
2. All emotions are sufferings (everything influenced by delusion is suffering);
3. All phenomena are without inherent existence (empty and devoid of self);
4. Nirvana is True Peace: (Nirvana is beyond description).
It is said that if a teaching contains the Four Dharma Seals, it can be considered Buddha Dharma.
2564 years ago, Siddhartha Gautama sat under the bodhi tree and realised these truths. 2564 years later, the Four Seals of Dharma remain relevant in every aspect of our lives.