Differences between Chinese Buddhism and Indian Buddhism

Title: Differences between Chinese Buddhism and Indian Buddhism
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Introduction to Buddhism
Introduction
Buddhism is a religious tradition and life for many across the globe. It draws us closer to the inner world through meditation and teaching its followers on how to spiritually develop themselves. Attaining an ultimate status of awareness is essential so as to have wisdom and be kind. It doesn’t believe in paying homage to a creator god rather it is pretty straightforward and practical. It’s more or less like a chain reaction: every single act has an effect. Besides, if one lives by the teachings of Gautama (Bailey, 1990), one can acquire that state of a Buddha.
Buddhism is a guide to behave, be responsible, be honest and doing this all with a mind of peace, harmony, compassion, and sharing. Buddhism is the opposite of conservatism and does not wish to force other people into believing and relying on oneself to obtain a higher state of awareness and the capacity to truly understand the nature of things. People are the focus point instead of the traditional belief that we worship and give our lives over to a creator. People from all walks of life and with diverse religious beliefs seek inner peace, true happiness and enlightenment. This path to eternal peace is the bonding that ties many religions together. These religions require paying homage to a figure of higher power or to God like Christianity. However, it is possible to live a morally upright life and arrive at that position of inner peace even without a belief to a spiritual figure or God. Buddhism is an alternative religion for reaching that point of enlightenment without paying homage to God and reading Holy Scriptures. A Buddhist is able to live suffering free life when nirvana is reached through choosing to be a better person and following the teachings of Buddha.
Buddhism in India
It was founded in India around 500 BC by a spiritual leader Siddhartha Gautama who was later known as Buddha. He discovered suffering and that he was not happy as a wealthy man. At twenty nine, Siddhartha decided that he needed to discover how one may overcome suffering. “He deliberated on books for six years with a group of five ascetics, practicing austerities and self- mortifications; however, his practices were so astounding that soon the five ascetics were followers of Siddhartha” (Boeree 2000). When Siddhartha realized that he needed to find medium between the life of self- mortification and luxuries, the ascetics left him, assuming he had given up. Siddhartha Gautama then traveled to a village where he sat under a certain bodhi tree and made the decision to stay there until the answers to his questions came to him. Days passed as he sat there, deep concentration so as to clear his mentality of all interruptions, then in mindfulness contemplation opening him up to the reality. He then began to remember all his preceding lives, and see clearly all that was happening in the universe. It was on the full moon of May when the morning star was rising that Siddhartha eventually found the answer to his query of suffering and hence became the Buddha: “he who is awake” (Boeree 2000).
Gautama decided to teach his path to illuminatio...