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Buddhism
Concept behind Buddhism
• Buddhism revolves around the
concept of dharma or the truth
• For practicing Buddhists, dharma
is the teachings of the Buddha
(Prince Siddhartha Gautama 553 B.C.E.-483 B.C.E.)
Buddhist Beliefs
• Buddhists believe a person must
find the middle path between
self-indulgence (too much) and selfdenial (too little) to lead them to
discover the dharma and to end
pain and suffering.
Buddhist Beliefs
• According to Buddha, people will find
suffering and unhappiness in all
aspects of life.
• Buddhists believe that suffering exists
in every and that it is caused by the
desire for worldly things (stuff and
personal gain)
To cure suffering…
• To cure this suffering and to
achieve Nirvana, or enlightenment
Buddhists believe that people
must follow the Noble Eightfold
Path.
Noble Eightfold Path
• The Noble Eightfold Path are like laws to
guide your life in the proper direction.
1. Right Understanding- know the truth
2. Right Purpose- resist evil and doing
wrong
3. Right Speech- Don’t say anything that
can hurt others
Noble Eightfold Path
4. Right action- respect life,
property, and morality
5. Right way to earn a living- work a
job that does not cause injury to
others
6. Right effort-Try to free your own
mind from evil (inner motivation)
Noble Eightfold Path
7. Right mindfulness- To be in
control of your own thoughts and
feelings
8. Right concentration- practice
appropriate forms of concentration
How Buddhists See Things
• Buddhists see everything within
the universe as a giant,
interconnected chain reaction in
which everything happens
because something else causes it.
• What we do has direct
consequences.
Buddhists believe…
• Buddhists believe all people face
continual rebirths through time
(reincarnation).
• How a person is reborn is based on
karma which is a person’s good and
bad actions in life.
• The results or consequences of
karma go beyond a person’s death
to impact their lives.
The 4 Noble Truths
1. All lives are filled with suffering
2. Suffering is caused by craving for
worldly things
3. Suffering will stop when people are free
of their desires for worldly things
4. The way to eliminate desire and to
achieve Nirvana is to follow the Noble
Eightfold Path