Buddhism

• Siddhartha Gautama • Born a prince; isolated within palace

• At 29 Siddhartha leaves the palace for the first time

“The Enlightened One”

• Decided to search for religious truth & end suffering

• Meditated under a fig tree for 49 days

“The Enlightened One”

• Emerged from the tree with a new understanding of suffering

• Became the “Enlightened One” or Buddha

“The Enlightened One”

Buddha’s First SermonThe Four Noble Truths:1.Life is filled with

suffering & sorrow2.The cause of ALL

suffering is desire

3.To eliminate suffering one must eliminate desire

4.To eliminate desire one must follow the Eightfold Path

Buddha’s First Sermon

• An 8 step guide to Buddhist behavior

• One must master one step at a time

The Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path• Right Understanding • Right Thought/Right Intention

• Right Speech • Right Action

• Right Livelihood

• Right Effort• Right Mindfulness• Right Concentration

The Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path

Comparison to Hinduism

• Similarities:• A belief in reincarnation, nirvana (moksha), karma, ahimsa and dharma

Comparison to Hinduism

• Differences:• Reject the many gods of Hinduism, as well as the caste system

• Follow the Eight-Fold Path to achieve Nirvana

Two BranchesTheravada:• View Buddha as a teacher

• South & Southeast Asia

Mahayana:• View Buddha as a savior/ divine being

• China, Korea, Japan

• This is NOT the Buddha!!!

• This is Pu-Tai or Hotei• A fertility symbol who was said to bring gifts to small children (think Santa Claus)

So…who is that???