Download buddhism - Distribution Access

TEACHER’S GUIDE
TEACHER’S GUIDE
Follow-up Discussion __________________________
www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism.htm
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance — Promotes religious tolerance
through education.This site features information about the different
Buddhist sects as well as links to many other informative sites.
www.afn.org/~afn20372/rel.html
A Short Guide to Tibetan Buddhism — Contains information about the teachings and practices of Tibetan Buddhism.
www.wsu.edu/~dee/BUDDHISM/DHAMMA.HTM
The Dhammapada — More than 80 important sayings from the compendium
of teaching ascribed to the founder of Buddhism. From Richard Hooker’s
Anthology of World Cultures.
• Discuss the influences that play a major role in Buddhism. How does
Buddhism relate to Hinduism?
• Compare and contrast the five Buddhist precepts with the Ten
Commandments.
• Compare and contrast reincarnation in both Western and Eastern theological thought.
• Describe how other religions like Christianity, Islam and Judaism deal
with the issue of fairness in life. How do the Buddhists? Is there such a
thing as fairness in reality?
• Buddhism is often criticized in the West as a nihilistic religion.
Nothingness, emptiness and the end of the personal soul in oblivion are
its goals. Discuss how this view is practiced.
• Reflecting on the story of Buddha’s death, why do you think he ate the
food, knowing it was poisoned?
• Can anyone be a true Buddhist regardless of their religious background?
• Buddhism has its largest following in Asia. Do students think that it
could grow to be one of the major religions in the United States? Why or
why not?
Follow-up Activities ____________________________
• As a vehicle to explore the theological questions regarding human
nature as good, evil or neither, organize a classroom debate. First, have
one group of students research karma and another group research free
will. Then, have them create and present arguments for each philosophy
on human nature.
• Have students create their own mantras that are reflective of their own
backgrounds and have special meaning for them. Place them on decorative posters.
• Have students research and develop a chart that displays the major sects
of Buddhism and their similarities and differences.
• Have students research Zen and determine how it fits into varied human
activities such as being a warrior, athlete, artist or monk.
• Present the students with some Buddhist riddles, or koans, and have
them solve them and react to them. Then, have students study and write
their own koans.
Internet Resources ____________________________
www.nandawon.demon.co.uk/vihara/intro00.htm#intro
Introduction to Buddhism — Provides introductory information about
Buddhism, the Eightfold Noble Path and meditation.
(Continued)
5
TEACHER’S GUIDE
Suggested Print Resources________________________
• Boisselier, Jean. The Wisdom of the Buddha. New York: Harry Abrams,
1994.
• Cherthan, Eric. Fundamentals of Mainstream Buddhism. Boston: Charles
Tuttle, 1994.
• Chodron, Thubten. What Color Is Your Mind. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion
Publishing, 1993.
BUDDHISM
TEACHER’S GUIDE:
Paul J. Sanborn
Assistant Professor of Intelligence, American Military University
Historian, Freedoms Foundation
TITLES IN THIS SERIES
• AFRICAN AND AFRICANAMERICAN RELIGIONS
• ANCIENT RELIGIONS OF
THE MEDITERRANEAN
• BUDDHISM
• CONFUCIANISM & TAOISM
• HINDUISM
• ISLAM
• JUDAISM
• NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY
• ORTHODOX AND ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHRISTIANITY
• PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY
• RELIGIONS OF SMALL SOCIETIES
• SHINTO
• SKEPTICISM & RELIGIOUS
RELATIVISM
Teacher’s Guides Included
and Available Online at:
800-843-3620
S
R
CHLESSINGE
MEDIA
A DIVISION OF LIBRARY VIDEO COMPANY®
he study of world religion is the examination of
the specific beliefs, customs and traditions of a
particular religion as well as its impact on world
culture and history. The Religions of the World video
series and its accompanying Teacher’s Guides are
designed to supplement World Cultures and History
curriculum. These teaching aids are meant to invite
classroom study and dialogue and challenge students
to make connections between the past and the
present. Questions and insights are likely to develop
and will reveal striking similarities and vast differences
among the world’s major religions as well as the
unique perspective of its many individual cultures.
T
TM
P.O. Box 580,Wynnewood, PA 19096 800-843-3620
S
R
CHLESSINGE
©1998 Religions of the World, LLC under license from
Liberty International Entertainment, Inc.
Produced and directed by Greenstar Television
Liberty
International Entertainment Inc.™
MEDIA
A DIVISION OF LIBRARY VIDEO COMPANY®
TM
Historical Overview ______________________________
Buddhism is a religion with millions of followers who seek spiritual enlightenment. It is an ancient tradition that began in northeast India and dates back
to 560 B.C.E. when it was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, who later became
known as the Buddha or “Enlightened One.” His teachings of Dharma and the
Four Noble Truths are the essence of Buddhism. Over the centuries,
Buddhism has been embraced by many Asian cultures — from the Mahayana
Buddhists of China and Korea to the Dalai Lama and the Buddhists of Tibet
and today, has a growing Western following. Buddhism teaches pacifism and
nonviolence, philosophies that have shaped the destinies where Buddhism
has predominated and has made it an enduring and influential world religion.
Four Noble Truths — Achieved through meditation, these are the four main
tenants of Buddhism: (1) life brings suffering; (2) the desire for pleasure,
power and immortality are the roots of suffering; (3) suffering ceases when
desiring ends; and (4) desire ends via the Noble Eightfold Path of right views,
intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, awareness and concentration.
Sangha — The original monastic community established by the Buddha after
he achieved enlightenment. Today, it is a term for any Buddhist monastery.
Pre-viewing Discussion ________________________
• Using a map, point out and discuss the areas of the world where
Buddhism predominates.
• Start a discussion and generate a list of familiar Buddhist words, symbols
and ideas found in current events or recent films about the Dalai Lama.
Focus Questions ______________________________
Buddha — Means “Enlightened One” or “Awakened.”This title is given to
Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.
Theravada — Primarily practiced in southeast Asia,Theravada Buddhism is a
more conservative interpretation of Buddha’s teachings than Mahayana
Buddhism.
Dharma — The orthodox belief of Buddhism which must be known in
order to be enlightened. It is the sublime religious truth.
Dhammapada — Summary account of Buddha’s teachings on meditation
and moral issues in the Theravadic scriptures.
Ascetic — A person, who, for religious reasons, practices rigorous selfdiscipline by leading a life of meditation and self-denial.
Tantric — The sect of Buddhism that focuses on yoga with ritual chants to
discipline the mind and body to go beyond desires to achieve enlightenment.
Bodhi Tree — Siddhartha Gautama meditated under this tree for seven days
until he achieved enlightenment and became the Buddha.
Mantra — In Sanskrit, the “sacred utterance,” which is a sound or group of
sounds used to focus the mind in meditation on the inner realities.
Nirvana — The ultimate state of freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth
by achieving selflessness through the understanding that all reality is one.
Bardo Thodol — The Tibetan Buddhist Book of the Dead.
Samsara — The cycle of birth and rebirth based upon one’s karma; also
known as reincarnation or transmigration of souls.
(Continued)
Koans — Riddles used by some Zen practitioners to help students break
through their perceptions into the true reality in an act of sudden enlightenment.
1. What do accounts say about the origins and early life of the founder of
Buddhism?
2. What happened to Siddhartha Gautama when he was twenty-nine years
old, and why was it significant to Buddhism?
3. What truth did Siddhartha Gautama learn from his meditation and
ascetic practice?
4. Why does Buddhism follow the Middle Way and what does that mean?
5. What is the key mood of Buddhist enlightenment?
6. What is the significance of the Deer Park Sermon?
7. What are Buddha’s Four Noble Truths?
8. What are the precepts of the Noble Eightfold Path?
9. Have the students discuss the nature of reality. What do they think it is?
What problems do we have with defining the true nature of what
is real?
10. What is karma?
11. What is the connection between karma and reincarnation?
12. What is the primary goal of Buddhist meditation?
13. How does meditation play a beneficial and essential role in Buddhism?
14. What does Zen Buddhism suggest is the difference between becoming
a good person and becoming a human being?
15. What does nirvana mean?
16. What are the four Great Unlimitables?
17. What is the cause of suffering in Buddhist thought? How can suffering
be eliminated?
18. What does the Lotus flower symbolize and suggest about the spirit of
Buddhism in the Mahayanist sect?
19. What does the story of Buddha’s death say about his ultimate beliefs
and his integrity of spirit?
20. How do the Theravada Buddhists differ from the Mahayana Buddhists
in belief?
21. Who is the Dalai Lama and how is he chosen?
22. How did Buddhism become important to Japanese culture?
23. What is Zen Buddhism? What is its primary goal?
24. What does the Zen goal of emptiness contribute to attaining
enlightenment?
2
3
4
Time Line ______________________________________
560 B.C.E. — Birth of Siddhartha Gautama in northeast India, the founder of
the Buddhist faith.
200 B.C.E.–100 C.E. — Mahayana Buddhism develops as a major Buddhist
sect and spreads from India to China, Korea, Japan and southeast Asia. It is
believed to have been founded by Nagarjuna.
300–400 C.E. — The very influential Lotus Sutra texts are written in Sanskrit
and later translated into Chinese.
Karma — The cosmic principle of cause and effect, which rewards human
goodness and punishes human evil through the transmigration of souls into
better or lesser situations of rebirth.
Selflessness — Achieved through Buddhist meditation, it allows people to
serve others and concentrate on the true perception of reality, an understanding that there are no boundaries between one’s self and the reality of
the universe.
Zen — From the Sanskrit word “Dhyana,” meaning meditation. That sect of
Buddhism mainly found in Japan where meditation is used to achieve enlightenment.
Mendicant — A holy man who travels and teaches while relying on the generosity of others for clothing, shelter and food.
c1222–1282 C.E. — The Japanese monk Nicherin promotes Buddhist reform
based on the Lotus Sutra.
Mahayana — A major sect of Buddhism founded by Nagarjuna and means
the great or universal path of salvation. It used a new body of scriptures
called Sutras (Lotus, Heart and Diamond). Open to all, one can achieve
enlightenment at any stage in the cycle of birth and rebirth.
c1250 C.E. — Eisai, a Japanese Buddhist monk, brings the Ch’an Buddhist tradition from China to Japan, where it becomes the foundation of the Samurai
tradition and Zen Buddhism.
Bodhisattva — An enlightened human being in the Mahayanist sect who
spreads insights to help others and refuses to enter Nirvana until everyone
has done so.
c550 C.E. — Buddhism arrives in Japan.
Vocabulary ______________________________________
Lama — Tibetan for high priest.
Zazen — The Zen sitting form of meditation.