Buddhist Centres of Learning and Pilgrimage Sites

Patronage of Buddhism

• Ancient Period:
  • Emperor Ashoka: He played a major role in spreading Buddhism in India and beyond through his rock edicts and support for Buddhist institutions and missionaries.
  • King Kanishka: He was a great Kushan ruler who convened the Fourth Buddhist Council and patronised the development of Mahayana Buddhism.
  • King Milinda: He was a Bactrian Greek king who converted to Buddhism and became a disciple of Nagasena.
• Medieval Period:
  • Pala Dynasty: It was a dynasty of Bengal that patronised the development of Mahayana Buddhism and supported the renowned Nalanda and Vikramshila universities.
  • Srivijaya Empire: It was a maritime empire in Southeast Asia that patronised the spread of Buddhism throughout the region, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia.
• Modern Period:
  • Dalai Lama: He is the spiritual leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, who has been influential in promoting Buddhism and Tibetan culture worldwide.
  • Chulalongkorn, King of Siam: He is a Thai monarch who supported the revival of Buddhism in Thailand and established the Buddhist Institute to promote Buddhist scholarship.
  • B. R. Ambedkar: He was an Indian social reformer and politician who converted to Buddhism and advocated for the rights of Dalits, or the “untouchables,” through Buddhism.

Important Buddhist travellers and scholars 

• Fa-Hien: A Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled to India during the Gupta period(4th-5th century CE) and wrote a detailed account of his travels and the Buddhist sites he visited in his book “Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms”.
• Hsuan Tsang: a Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled to India during the 7th century CE and spent several years studying at the ancient Buddhist university of Nalanda. He later wrote about his experiences in his book “Great Tang Records on the Western Regions”.
• I-tsing (or Yi Jing): A Chinese Buddhist monk who visited India during the 7th century CE and also studied at the University of Nalanda. He wrote a detailed account of his travels and the Buddhist culture he encountered in his book “A Record of Buddhist Practices Sent Home from the Southern Sea”.
• Kumarajiva: He was an Indian Buddhist scholar who travelled to China during the 4th century CE and played a significant role in translating Buddhist texts from Sanskrit into Chinese.
• Important Buddhist scholars: Nagarjuna, Asanga, Vasubandhu, Dignaga, Dharmakirti, Shantarakshita, Atisha, Padmasambhava, Tsongkhapa.

Buddhahood and Cycle of Buddhas

Buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment that is achieved by a Buddha, which is a fully awakened being who has attained complete liberation from suffering and the cycle of rebirth. In Buddhism, there is a belief in the cycle of Buddhas, which is the idea that there have been and will be many Buddhas throughout history.

• Krakucchanda: According to Buddhist tradition, Krakucchanda was the first Buddha of the current age, known as the Bhadrakalpa. His teachings emphasised moral conduct, meditation, and the attainment of spiritual powers.
• Kankamuni: He was the second Buddha of the Bhadra Kalpa. He was born into a Brahmin family, and his teachings emphasised the cultivation of compassion and the practice of meditation.
• Kasyapa: He is also known as Kassapa and was the third Buddha of the Bhadra Kalpa. His teachings emphasised the importance of ethical conduct and the cultivation of wisdom.
• Sakyamuni: He is also known as Gautama Buddha. He is the fourth and most well-known Buddha of the Bhadra Kalpa. His teachings, known as Buddhism, emphasise the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path as a means of University enlightenment.
• Maitreya: Maitreya is a bodhisattva who is believed to be the future Buddha of the next Bhadrakalpa. He is said to reside in the Tushita heaven and will be reborn on Earth when the teachings of the current Buddha, Sakyamuni, have been forgotten.