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Buddhism
Religions out of Asia
Quick Facts
Ranks #5 in
the world
with over
362 million
adherents
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Quick Facts
 As a faith, it arose in India, 5th century B.C.E.
 Nearly non-existent in modern India,
adherents found in large numbers in China,
Japan and North America
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The life and enlightenment of
Siddhartha Gautama
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Founder & Texts
 Founder - Prince Siddhartha Gautma, the Buddha
(the enlightened one or awakened one)
 The sacred texts, scriptures, are the Tripitaka
(threefold basket)
Raquel Sukhu 201020
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Origins of Buddhism
The Buddha was born into royalty,
a prince, in northern India in 563
BCE
Named Siddhartha Gautama
which means “wish-filler” or “he
who has reached his goal”
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Origins of Buddhism
Epics embellish his birth story,
characterizing his birth as one
without human intercourse – a
white elephant carrying a lotus
flower entered his mother’s
womb during a dream
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Origins of Buddhism
The Buddha is portrayed as the
reincarnation of a great being,
born many times before,
returning to earth out of
compassion for all suffering
beings
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Origins of Buddhism
He was raised in the lap of
luxury with fine clothes, white
umbrella for shade…
He was a practicing Hindu,
shielded from the difficulties of
life, by his family.
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Origins of Buddhism
Trained in martial arts
Moved through Brahmanic
(Hindu) steps as a student, then
householder, marrying a
neighboring princess,
Yashodhara at age 19
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Origins of Buddhism
Siddhartha’s father actively
shielded him from seeing any
painful human experiences by
surrounding him with every
kind of pleasure
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Origins of Buddhism
Legend says the gods arranged
for Siddhartha to see “four
sights” that his father had tried
to hide from him:
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Origins of Buddhism
The first three caused him deep
concern and anguish:
1. a bent old man (aging)
2. a sick person (sickness and
suffering)
3. a dead person (death)
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Origins of Buddhism
Seeing these sights, he was
dismayed by the impermanence
of life
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Origins of Buddhism
The fourth sight brought relief:
4. a monk, wandering, seeking
lasting happiness, rather than
temporal pleasure
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Origins of Buddhism
At age 29 he renounced his
wealth (The Great Renunciation)
and departed at night, leaving
his wife and son, Rahula, to
begin his 6 year search for release
from the wheel of rebirth.
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Origins of Buddhism
Siddhartha shaved his head, and
donned the robe of a monk
He underwent 6 years of extreme
self-denial techniques
(nakedness, breath retention,
severe fasting, bed of brambles)
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Origins of Buddhism
He did not find enlightenment
through this path
He shifted his practice to a
Middle Way that rejected both
self indulgence and self denial
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Origins of Buddhism
He sat in a grove under the Bo tree
(in a village - Bodh Gaya), and in a
state of meditation, experienced
supreme awakening.
He realized as a result, the cause of
suffering and the means for ending
it
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Origins of Buddhism
He realized that destroying
desire would eliminate
suffering, leaving him free,
awake and enlightened.
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Origins of Buddhism
He stayed under the tree of
enlightenment for seven weeks,
being tempted by Mara, the
personification of evil, and
received the blessings of the gods
when he successfully withstood
these temptations.
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Origins of Buddhism
He was filled with joy and
compassion and wanted to
share his good news with the
five ascetics who helped him
during his six year ordeal
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Origins of Buddhism
His outward appearance was
changed by his enlightenment
and he was embraced by the
five ascetics who later became
his disciples
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Origins of Buddhism
The Buddha delivered his first
sermon in the deer Park of
Sarnath – he presented the
Middle Path and listed the 4
truths of his enlightenment.
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Origins of Buddhism
The beginning of Buddhism is
marked by the five ascetics
becoming his disciples, and
the establishment of the
Sangha – the monastic order
and the first organization.
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Origins of Buddhism
The Buddha spent decades (45
years) walking and teaching
all over North India and
became known as the “sage of
the Shakya clan”
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Origins of Buddhism
A core of teachings became
known as the Dharma that he
taught which included:
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Origins of Buddhism
the Four Noble Truths
the Noble Eightfold Path
the Three Marks of Existence
and other guidelines for achieving
liberation from suffering
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Origins of Buddhism
He continued to travel and
teach until his eightieth year
when it is believed he ate
spoiled food and died.
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Origins of Buddhism
The disciples cremated his body
on the seventh day after his
death, and divided the remains
into 8 parts upon which 8
monuments (stupas) were built
in various territories as witness to
the life of the Buddha.
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Sacred Writing
There are three (3) collections of
scriptures in Buddhism, with the
Tripitakas (Sanskrit for
threefold basket) written in the
Buddha’s language
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Sacred Writing
Three collections of scripture:
1. Pali collection, originally kept
in memory of disciples, written
in the language Pali, on palm
leaves, gathered in three baskets.
3 collections, 5 volumes
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Sacred Writing
 Three collections of scripture:
 1. Tripitaka:
 I. the Vinaya Pitaka (monastic rules)
 II. the Sutta Pitaka
(discourses/Dharmic teachings)
 III. the Abhidhamma Pitaka
(supplement to the doctrines)
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Sacred Writing
Most Buddhist groups in
practice focus their attention on
a few volumes, sometimes
basing their central doctrines on
one sutra (sutta).
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Focus on suffering, its nature, cause
and cure
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Four Noble Truths
This constitutes the foundations
of the Buddha’s teaching
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Four Noble Truths
1. All of life is
suffering, dukkha
2. The cause of
suffering is
craving, tanha
3. The end of suffering is
getting rid of craving and
grasping
4. The method to use in
overcoming suffering is the
Eightfold Path. This is
known as the path of
deliverance in Buddhism,
and the Middle Path which
leads to enlightenment.
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The Eightfold Path
This path avoids the extremes of
self indulgence and self denial
It deals with wisdom, ethical
conduct and mental
development
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The Eightfold Path
Wisdom:
1. Right View (correct insight
into the nature of suffering)
2. Right Intention (correct
resolve in overcoming suffering)
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The Eightfold Path
Ethical conduct:
3. Right Speech (truthful speech
that reflects Buddhist knowledge)
4. Right Action (abstain from
taking life and from carnal
indulgence)
5. Right Livelihood (putting away
wrong livelihood)
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The Eightfold Path
Mental Development:
6. Right Effort (apply force of mind to
avoid evil and awaken good potentials)
7. Right mindfulness (avoiding craving
and dejection in the world)
8. Right concentration (enter first
meditative state (jhana) and move
towards the 4th, purity of mind where
neither ease nor ill is felt.
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Ten Precepts – commitments of
the monks of Sangha
1. not taking life
2. not stealing
3. being chaste
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Ten Precepts
4. not lying
5. not drinking intoxicants
6. eating moderately
7. avoiding spectacles such
as singing or dramas
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Ten Precepts
8. not using flowers,
perfumes or jewelry
9. using simple beds
10. accepting no gold or
silver
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Three Jewels / Gems
Recited by the monks:
“I take refuge in the
Buddha, I take refuge in
the Dharma, I take refuge
in the Sangha.”
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Three Jewels / Gems
Buddha (Enlightened One)
Dharma (teachings he gave)
Sangha (community)
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Buddhist teaching
Buddha agreed with the Hindu
gurus that samsara occurs, but
he believed that it was not
necessary – anyone may achieve
release in this life rather than
through rebirth by following
the Four Noble Truths.
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Buddhist teaching
His understanding of
karma was that humans
become what they intend –
karma is psychological, not
physical.
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Buddhist teaching
In Buddhism, one event
causes another, and the
central cause in this process
is karma – deserved pleasure
or pain is caused by thoughts
and deeds.
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Buddhist teaching
Karma anchors people in
their physical nature, tying
them to the wheel of birth
and death through greed,
hate and delusion.
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Buddhist teaching
People achieve nirvana, the
goal of Buddhist practice
when they have ended all
craving, and lead a life free of
attachments and with no
karmic consequences.
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Buddhist teaching
An arhant or worthy one,
has found nirvana in this
life, a desirable state of
mind, and the cycle of
suffering, samsara, ends.
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Theravada vs. Mahayana traditions
Buddhism in India
Buddhism in China
Buddhism in Japan
Buddhism in Tibet
Buddhism in the West
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Theravada / Theravadins
One of the earliest Buddhist schools,
and the only of those to survive into
the present.
Translates into “Way of the Elders”
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Theravada / Theravadins
The Theravadins were the monks
who imitated the Buddha’s monastic
life to attain enlightenment
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Theravada / Theravadins
The conservative branch, in
comparison to the Mahayana
Theravadin Buddhists study early
scriptures in Pali, honor the life of
renunciation and follow
mindfulness meditation teachings.
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Mahayana
The liberal branch, in comparison
to the Theravadins
Developed circa 100 C.E.
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Mahayana
Translates into “Great Vehicle”
This school offers a variety of ways
to release from suffering and
appeals to laypeople and monks of
widely differing backgrounds
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Mahayana
This school applies the derogatory
term hinayana (lowly vehicle) to
the Theravadin Buddhists.
The Mahayana identify with the
advanced insights of the Buddha,
higher knowledge
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Mahayana
They typically believe in
bodhisattvas, heavenly beings
who although they are qualified for
nirvana, remain outside to assist
humans in need to escape suffering
here to beautiful lives beyond the
grave.
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Mahayana
They believe that the heavens are
populated with all sorts of
enlightened beings or Buddhas
who can help each generation as
Gautama helped his, and that
everyone, is a potential Buddha.
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Comparison of
Theravadins and Mahayana
Mahayanas prefer wide
participation; Theravadins –
only those who observe the
monastic ideal
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