Buddhism

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"The three seals of the Dharma teach us that the world is impermanent... Impermanence leads to suffering, and all things possess no inherent self."

―A Buddhist monk, 1725.

Siddhārtha Gautama, the Buddha

Buddhism is a religion which originated in India that is based on the teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, a purported Isu better known to humanity as the Buddha. Over time, Buddhism spread across much of Asia via the Silk Road, becoming a prominent faith in numerous countries such as China, Japan, and Myanmar.

Teachings

A key doctrine of Buddhism is the idea that nothing is permanent, and that suffering (dukkha) is born from this impermanence. Buddhists attempt to counter this by teaching paññā, a term that can be roughly translated to "wisdom", "insight", "intelligence", or "understanding". Most schools of Buddhism teach three marks of existence, or "seals", which fundamentally characterize all phenomena:

• Dukkha: unease, suffering
• Anicca: impermanence
• Anattā: non-self; living things have no permanent immanent soul or essence

The ultimate goal of most Buddhist paths is Nirvana, a higher state of existence which is believed to be attainable by extinguishing one's passions. Only by removing oneself from all earthly attachments can one become enlightened and be released from dukkha. In 2023, Shimazu Sei compared the notion of reaching Nirvana to the effects of a lantern-shaped Piece of Eden, which could heal all psychic damage sustained by an individual and put their mind at ease.

History

16th century

Shao Jun inside a Buddhist temple in Nan'an

In 1529, the Chinese Assassins' Mentor Wang Yangming traveled to Nan'an to meet with a Buddhist monk who possessed extensive knowledge of the Pieces of Eden, hoping he could decipher the secrets of a Precursor box in Yangming's possession. However, Yangming was ambushed and killed by the Templars Zhang Yong and Qiu Ju before the monk arrived at the meeting place. When Yangming's apprentice Shao Jun arrived shortly after, she got into a fight with the Templars and their guards, which was broken up by a group of monks, who threatened retaliation if violence was brought to a temple of the Buddha.

After the Templars departed, the monks offered to help Shao Jun organize Yangming's funeral, during which their leader spoke at length with the Assassin about her gifts inherited from the Isu. Following Yangming's funeral, Shao Jun thanked the monks for their hospitality and left Nan'an to resume her fight against the Templars.

18th century

In 1725, the members of the Zhang Wei Union traveled to Yangon, Burma, after learning of a Piece of Eden housed within the Shwedagon Pagoda. Prior to their arrival, Zhang established contact with the pagoda's Buddhist monks, who agreed to guide the Union members into Yangon. After infiltrating the city in disguise, Shimazu Saito spoke with one of the monks, who explained that he and his compatriots believed the Piece of Eden could cause much suffering in the wrong hands and that they felt the artifact would be much safer with the Union.

Following Saito and Edward Kenway's theft of the Piece of Eden, the monks helped them escape from the guards, offering them disguises to allow the pair to blend in with them. The monks later explained that they had done so because they wished to avoid an unnecessary fight between them and the guards, and Edward thanked the monks for their help, promising to return the Piece of Eden to the Shwedagon Pagoda once he was done using it.

Gallery

A statue of the Buddha

Shimazu Saito and a monk praying to the statue

A group of 18th-century Buddhist monks

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (first mentioned)
• Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Dynasty
• Assassin's Creed: Mirage (mentioned only)
• Echoes of History (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
• Assassin's Creed: Shadows