Download Buddha nature - Quodvultdeus

Buddhists don’t
believe in a creator
God who saves, or
whom believers
adore…
so what do they
worship?
What do Buddhists Worship ?
• To explain what the Buddha
nature is
• To explain what Buddhists
worship
• To evaluate whether
Buddhism is a religion
All creatures have
a Buddha nature.
The Buddha Nature
This is the “ultimate
reality” that
Buddhists worship.
It is like a seed
that can blossom
inside each one of
us to become a
Buddha.
Riddle 1: YYURYYUBICURYY4ME - what does this mean?
Riddle 2: a word that consists of 10 letters,
including 4 vowels and 6 consonants, beginning c, 2 s’s
in the middle.
Riddle 3:
+
+
According to Buddhism, there is no being, human or otherwise, who
doesn't possess some wisdom (is able to see the true nature of
things), some compassion and some self-awareness. A buddha is
one who has developed his or her compassion, wisdom and selfawareness to the greatest degree.
WHAT IS THE BUDDHA
NATURE?
Solve the 3 riddles to find
out the 3 things that make a
Buddha nature.
Then answer:
1. What is the Buddha
nature?
2. What is a buddha ?
3. Why do Buddhists say
everyone has it (see
white box)?
** On a scale 0-10 how
much buddha nature have
you got? Give proof of your
opinion !
Buddhist “deities”
Even though Buddhists only worship the Buddha
nature that is in all of us, if you go to a Buddhist
temple you will see lots of statues that look like
“gods”, that people are praying to…
What is going on?? Do
Buddhists worship gods
or not??
1. Explain what
Buddhists
worship.
2. Explain why
Buddhists
worship them.
These “deities” are not really gods –
they just represent part of the
ultimate Buddha nature–wisdom,
compassion and mindful concentration.
By “praying” to them, Buddhists hope
to attain that quality in themselves to
get closer to the ultimate Buddha
nature.
Is Buddhism a religion ?
• YES: 2 reasons explained
• NO: 2 reasons explained
• EVALUATE: What do you think – include a new
reason/ or develop a previously given reason.
True or False ?
• Buddhists have faith in a creator God.
• You can only achieve enlightenment by your own
efforts. There is no external help or saviour.
• Buddhist Deities are real divine beings.
• The Buddha is a god.
• There is no need for faith in Buddhism.
Ultimate Buddha Nature
(enter the deathless state of Nirvana)
Deities Bodhisattvas
(representations of
ultimate reality – like the
hindu gods)
1. Copy out this scheme
showing the Buddhist
world view.
2. Who do you know/
have heard of, who could
be a Bodhisattva?
(beings who achieved
enlightenment but have chosen
to be reborn out of compassion for
others) A Bodhisattva could be you or
me…whenever help is given unselfishly..)
eg the Buddha himself was a
Bodhisattva who once incarnated as
Siddhartha Gautama. He had 550
incarnations before then… and has had
more since. Eg as the Dalai Lama.
Is this scheme similar to or
different from the way
Christianity works ?
Bodhisattvas
Some of the Buddhist “deities” are not just representations
of the Buddha nature, but are believed to have really lived.
They achieved enlightenment but put off going to Nirvana
out of compassion for human beings, to help and teach
them. Buddhists worship Bodhisattvas for their buddhaqualities, and for their compassion in choosing to be reborn
for the good of the world.
The Bodhisattva,
Avalokitesvara, represents
the compassion of all the
Buddhas. He is sometimes
red, symbolizing his
passionate concern for
beings. The Dalai Lama is
thought to be his
incarnation in human
form.
1. Explain what a Bodhisattva
is.
2. Label the 3 Bodhisattvas on
your picture, and add info
about them from this slide.
2. Explain why Buddhists worship
the Boddhisatvas.
**Do you think that this makes
Buddhism a religion, or not? Are
they, in fact, worshipping gods?
The Bodhisattva Shakyamuni had 550
incarnations before he was re-born as the
Buddha (Siddharta Gautama) and has had
more incarnations since then.
The Bodhisattva, Maitreya,
or “Buddha of the Future”,
is supposed to reappear at
the end of time for the
deliverance of all creatures
to enlightenment.