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• Hinduism- What did I learn?
• Buddhism: What do I know?
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• What do I want to know?
Buddhism
Objective: To Define, describe, and
analyze the origins and teachings of
Buddhism.
Essential
Question: What
are the major
world religions
and how are they
connected?
Siddhartha Gautama:
Founder
 Born in Nepal 560 BC
 Was a Hindu
 Son of a ruler- prince/ life of
luxury – unaware of outside
world legend has it he left to
find cause of human misery
 Leaves kingdom→ realizes life
of suffering outside
 Meditates under a fig tree
(Bodhi tree) has enlightenment
& receives the 4 Noble Truths
The 4 Noble Truths
1. Universal Suffering: everyone suffers from pain,
sickness, and death
2. The cause of suffering is desire (riches, ling life,
material things)


Everything in life changes; Nothing is permanent
Even pleasure causes suffering because it too must end.
3. The only way to end suffering is crush desire

If you do this, you achieve Nirvana (condition of wanting
nothing)
4. The way to end desire is to follow Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold Path
• Buddha sets right to conduct
• Stresses understanding of cause
of suffering, compassion for all
creatures
• Kindness
• Truthfulness
• The Path is divided into three
main sections: wisdom, ethical
conduct and mental discipline.
The Spread of Buddhism
• Buddha thought of himself as
a Hindu
 Unlike Hindus, he denied the
existence of gods
 Priests are unnecessary
 People have to seek Nirvana on
their own (follow Noble
Eightfold Path)
 Rejects the caste system
The Spread of Buddhism
• Buddha set up monasteries/ convents where monks and
nuns follow Eightfold Path
• Attracts many followers- quickly spread across South
Asia
• After his death his teachings passed down orallyeventually written down in the 3 Baskets of Wisdom
• People of different cultures adopt Buddhism to suit their
needs
Growth of 2 Main Sects:
Theravada Buddhism
• Stress the monastic life as a
way to reach Nirvana
• Buddha= teacher not God
• Areas Ceylon, Burma, &
Thailand
Mahayana Buddhism
• Self -encouraged
• Worship Buddha and other
enlightened ones as Gods
• In areas such as China, Tibet,
Japan and Korea
Closing Thoughts
• Although Buddhism began in South Asia it almost
disappeared as Hinduism is a tolerant faith and it
absorbed Buddhist ideas
Sources:
• Google Images
• BBC & Youtube