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BUDDHISM
Who is followed?
• Buddhists do not worship a god or gods,
but instead dedicate their lives to the
teaching of the Buddha, which means
enlightened one. They try to live a simple
life and follow the eightfold path.
Religious Book
• Dharma- a collection of Buddha's
teachings
• Dharma means the true nature of things.
• Ahimsa- means nonviolence
• Buddha rejected the idea that people in
upper castes were holier than others.
The Beginning
• Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 B.C.) was
born a Hindu prince.
• A priest predicted that he would become a
wandering holy man.
• To prevent this, his father sheltered him
and gave him lots of material things.
• His father made sure he knew nothing
about poverty, suffering, or death.
Siddhartha’s Journey
• At age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and
was upset with the troubles he saw.
• He fled the castle leaving his wife and new
born son behind.
• His goal was to search for peace in a
world of suffering.
• For six years he starved himself but still
did not find any answers to end world
suffering.
Four Noble Truths
• Siddhartha meditated under a fig tree (this is
sometimes referred to as the “Enlightenment”)
and came up with the Four Noble Truths:
1. People suffer because their minds are not at
ease.
2. Suffering comes from wanting what one
doesn’t have or from wanting life to be
different.
3.People can stop suffering by not wanting.
4. People can stop wanting by following the
Eightfold Path.
Stop to Discuss
• What is the difference between a want and
a need?
• Do you think you could stop wanting?
• Would this make you happier? Why or
why not?
Main Teachings: The Eightfold
Path
• This means having the right opinions,
desires, speech ,actions, job, effort,
concentration, and meditation.
• Buddha said this path could lead to
Nirvana- the end of suffering.
• Reaching nirvana broke the cycle of
reincarnation.
• This means there is no need for another
rebirth.
Place of Worship
• Buddhists can worship both at home or at
a temple. It is not considered essential to
go to a temple to worship with others.
Religious Rituals/traditions
• Meditation - Mental concentration and
mindfulness
• Mantras - Sacred sounds
• Prayer Wheels - Reciting mantras with the turn
of a wheel
• Pilgrimage - Visiting sacred sites
Pilgrimage
• For centuries, Buddhists come to visit
places in India and Nepal associated with
Buddha’s life.
Symbol
• The Wheel is the symbol of Buddhism,
because Buddha’s teachings were
intended to break the cycle of births and
deaths.
Why it Matters Now
• Buddhism helped to shape many Asian
cultures.
• Today most Buddhist live in Sri Lanka,
East Asia, Southeast Asia and Japan.