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BUDDHISM

WHAT IS BUDDHISM?• Goes beyond religion as more as philosophy, or “way of life”

• Originated 2,500 years ago

• Main goals:

• Lead a moral life

• Be mindful/aware of thoughts and actions

• Develop wisdom and understanding

BUDDHISM BELIEFS• Believes in:

• Middle Way

• Eightfold Path

• Four Noble Truths

• Karma

• Rebirth

WHO WAS THE BUDDHA• Siddhartha Gautama born as prince 563 to King Shuddhodhana

• Prophecy that he would be great warrior/religious leader

• Shielded from religion and world suffering

• Kapilvastu was were he was born

• Considered holy pilgrimage by Buddhists to visit there

THE BUDDHA• At age 29, Sickened by sight of old man, sick man, and corpse

• Shaved his head, disguised as a beggar, and searched for enlightenment

• Buddha means “Awakened One” or “The Enlightened One”

• Sat under sacred fig tree (Bodhi Tree) and meditated

• Realized enlightenment and became Buddha

• Found happiness in the “Middle Way”

TEACHINGS OF THE BUDDHA• Siddhartha Guatama began teaching people about his enlightenment until he was 80

years old

• Wheel of Life

• Four Noble Truths

• Eight Fold Path

• Dharma

FIRST NOBLE TRUTH• Truth of Suffering

• Portrays physical suffering such as pain, getting old, disease death as realistic parts of life

• It also states psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, fear, embarrassment, disappoint and anger as part of life

• Buddhism explains how suffering can be avoided and how we can be truly happy

SECOND NOBLE TRUTH• Suffering is caused by craving and aversion.

• Getting what you want does not guarantee happiness.

• Craving to continue to exist creates a powerful energy which causes the individual to be born.

• Causes us to be reborn

THIRD NOBLE TRUTH• Suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained

• lf we give up useless craving and learn to live each day at a time

• Nirvana can be attained

• Nirvana is the supreme state free from suffering and individual existence

FOURTH NOBLE TRUTH• Noble 8-fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering.

• THE 8-FOLD PATH:

• being moral (through what we say, do and our livelihood)

• focusing the mind on being fully aware of our thoughts and actions

• developing wisdom by understanding the Four Noble

• Having compassion towards others

DHARMA• Differs on branch of Buddhism

• 2 main meanings

• Universal Law of Nature

• Teachings of Buddha that lead to enlightenment

• Understanding the characterizes of elements

IDOLS• sometimes pay respect to images of the Buddha, but do not worship images or ask for

favors

• Statues of the Buddha with hands rested gently in its lap and a compassionate smile are to remind people of peace and love within themselves.

• Bowing to the statue is an expression of gratitude for the teaching

OTHER SYMBOLS/IDOLS

• Mantra• words or phrases that are chanted out loud or internally as objects of meditation

• Buddhists memorize these chants and say them mediation

• Wheel of Life• symbolizes the Buddhist perspective on life and contains numerous symbols of

Buddhist themes and teachings

• Six realms

Other Symbols/Idols• Mantra

• words or phrases that are chanted out loud or internally as objects of meditation

• Buddhists memorize these chants and say them mediation

• Wheel of Life• symbolizes the Buddhist perspective on life and contains numerous symbols

of Buddhist themes and teachings

• Six realms

A GROWING RELIGION

• Stupas were constructed in early days of Buddhism.

• Mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship.

• Represent the enlightened mind of the Buddha

TODAY THERE ARE ABOUT 350 MILLION BUDDHISTS• This would be 6% of the world’s population, making Buddhism the fourth most popular

religion

NEWS ARTICLES• September 2, 2013

• Bagan Journal; curators are working in Myanmar to assemble exhibit of Buddhist art that will travel to Asia Society in New York City in 2015 and offer a rare glimpse into the country’s history

• July 12, 2013

• More than 20 Buddhists are sentenced to as much as 15 years in prison for murder and other crimes for March incidents of violence against Muslims in Myanmar; sentences do not erase sense of unequal justice in country where Muslim minority has borne most of legal brunt for Buddhist-Muslim violence

VOCAB• Bodhi tree- a large and very old Sacred Fig tree located in Bodh Gaya, India

• Buddha- is “Awakened One” or “The Enlightened One”

• Dharma- the teaching or religion of the Buddha

• Eightfold Path- the path to nirvana

• Four Noble Truths- the four central beliefs containing the essence of Buddhist teaching

• Ganges River- river located in India

• Kapilavastu- Childhood home of Buddha

• Mantra- a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation

• Nirvana- a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth

• Siddhartha Gautama- the Buddha

REVIEW• What was the founder of Buddhism’s’ name, real name? Siddhartha Gautama

• What was he better known as? Buddha

• What is enlightenment called in Buddhism? Nirvana

• A Buddhist shrine is called what? Stupa

• What was the name of the tree Buddha found enlightenment under, the sacred tree of Buddhism? Bodhi Tree

BIBLIOGRAPHY• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Dharma_Wheel.svg

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha

• http://www.shambhala.org/buddhism.php