Early Buddhism

Japanese: 初期仏教 - しょきぶっきょう

This refers to the early Buddhism founded by Shakyamuni and developed by his direct disciples after his death. It seems to have a narrower nuance than the period division commonly used as primitive Buddhism. In India during Shakyamuni's time, agricultural products became abundant due to the use of iron tools, wealthy merchants and industrialists appeared, society flourished, and many free thinkers who questioned the traditional Brahmanism based on the Vedas and Upanishads were produced, Shakyamuni being one of them. Its doctrines can be summarized in the theories of the Middle Way, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, dependent origination, and non-self.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

釈迦によって創始され，彼の滅後直弟子たちが発展させた初期の仏教をいう。通常用いられる原始仏教という時代区分より，やや狭義のニュアンスがあるように思われる。　釈迦の時代のインドは，鉄器の利用により農産物が豊富になり富裕な商工業者が現れ，社会は爛熟し，旧来のベーダ，ウパニシャッドに基づくバラモン教に疑問をもつ自由思想家が多く輩出し，釈迦もその中の一人であった。その教義は，中道，四諦（したい），八正道，縁起，無我の諸説にまとめうる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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