Despite a brief resurgence under the Gupta kings (circa the third and fourth centuries CE), it was virtually wiped out by waves of Muslim invasions that began in the 10th century. Ironically, Buddhism gradually declined in India. Under Asoka, Buddhism flourished in India and was even “exported” to Sri Lanka and modern-day Pakistan (through which it eventually reached China and beyond, going as far as Japan, Vietnam and even ancient Malaya and Indonesia.) Buddhism had few adherents until the Mauryan emperor, Asoka the Great (273-232 BCE), embraced the philosophical way of life after massive slaughter in a war he waged against the kingdom of Kalinga. Like most popular religions Buddhism was born at a time of political conflict – the kingdom of Gautama’s father, Suddhodana, came under attack and fell to the neighboring kingdom of Kosala during his lifetime. His teachings were built round the philosophy that humans could alleviate suffering by shedding their desires, and ultimately achieve a state of enlightenment. While revered by most of his followers as a god, Buddha himself did not wish to be worshipped in that way. He then went on to teach the people around him about his discoveries at sites such as Varanasi, Rajgir, Sarbath and Vaishali. Gautama lived a very austere life and after seven years or so of wandering, he arrived in Bodh Gaya where, after intense meditation, he achieved enlightenment while seated under a Bodhi tree.

He was married and had a child, but in his late twenties he abandoned the worldly life in search of spiritual enlightenment. I had been told that to prepare for cold weather, but when I went, the Indian winter had yet to set in, and most days were quite hot and humid.īodh Gaya is arguably the most important site in Buddhism, but first, let’s go back to how it all started.īuddha was born Prince Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini, Nepal (approximately 400BCE). There are no direct flights from KL, but Thai Airways plies the Bodh Gaya route regularly during the pilgrimage season (October to March). I flew from Kuala Lumpur to Bodh Gaya (in Bihar) via Bangkok. Nonetheless it was a pretty fascinating journey that I would heartily recommend to all, not just adherents of the Buddhist faith. All the important sites related to Buddha’s life are located in relatively under-developed regions of the provinces of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, while his birthplace is across the border in the lowlands of Nepal.Īs the infrastructure between the various cities isn’t particularly good, we spent plenty of time that we spent on the road. Now this is not a trip for those accustomed to five-star hotels and first-class flights. Some weeks ago, I was privileged to travel to India to experience the majesty of Buddhism’s holy sites. However, students of history and/or religion will tell you that the roots of Buddhism lie not in China, but India, where Buddha himself spent most of his life. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Malaysians live in a country where religion and race are often erroneously linked one tends to think of Buddhism as being synonymous with the Chinese community. << The Mahabodhi temple at Bodhgaya in Bihar is popular with pilgrims. History and faith connect and touch those who gather at the temples and cities that are significant to Buddhism Courtesy The Star, by Martin Vengadesan December 6, BE2553, AD 2009 Year of the Ox

Matha kuar shrine