Download Buddhism

Buddhism
Attachments cause suffering
Buddhism Is…
A philosophy, religion, and spiritual
practice followed by more than 350
million people
Based on the teachings of the Buddha
Non-theistic: Buddha is not divine (a
God) he is just a revered teacher
Buddhism Is…
Dates back to 542 BCE, making it
2555 years old.
An off-shoot of Hinduism.
A path of balance rather than
extremism.
Began in India and spread and
diversified throughout the Far East.
The Spread of Buddhism
500s BCE – 600 CE
This map shows how
Buddhism spread from India
throughout Asia. Buddhism
began in northeastern India,
the birthplace of Buddha, and
from there spread along trade
routes. By the first century it
had reached China. From there
it traveled to Korea and on to
Japan around 600 CE.
Buddhism also took hold in
Tibet during the 600s.
http://go.hrw.com/ndNSAPI.nd/gohrw_rls1/pKeywordResults?ST9%20Buddhism
Where are Buddhists Today?
Goal of Buddhism
Enlightenment and Nirvana- Defined
by the Buddha as the end of suffering
in this lifetime and all future
lifetimes. It also meant freedom, joy
and inner peace.
Buddhism Differs from Hinduism:
Buddhism rejects…
The ancient Vedic texts (Vedas)
The Caste system
The Hindu deities (gods)
Siddhartha Gautama- The Buddha
Born in 560 BCE in
northeastern India
(modern day Nepal) to a
Hindu family of
warrior caste - Shakya
Clan
At the age of 29 he
abandoned his family
and home and became
an ascetic.
http://www.crystalinks.com/buddha.html
Siddhartha Gautama- The Buddha
Lived a life of austerity
and starvation for 6
years.
Realized this was not
the way to attain
Enlightenment.
Developed the “middle
way” and achieved
Nirvana.
What happened to Siddhartha
Gautama that changed him?
Early life of luxury rendered him
incapable of critical perception of
reality.
He left this life behind and his
encounters lead to life-changing
realizations:
1. He sees an elderly person and
realizes that everything decays.
2. He sees an invalid and realizes that
everything suffers.
3. He sees a corpse and realizes that
everything perishes.
4. He sees an ascetic and realizes that
detachment from worldly things is
possible.
Four Noble Truths
1. Life is suffering (not satisfactory)
2. Self-centered attachment is the root
of suffering
3. Suffering can be ended
4. There is a path by which to end
sufferingThe Middle Way/Eightfold Path
Eight-fold Path / Middle Way
Wisdom:
Morality:
1. Right views
3. Right speech
2. Right thoughts/Intentions 4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
Concentration:
6. Right effort
7. Right concentration
8. Right mindfulness
Five Precepts
• Do not kill
• Do not steal
• Do not misuse sex
• Do not lie
1.Do not use intoxicants
Sacred Texts
• The Tripitaka or Tipitaka
• Means: tri, "three" + pitaka, "baskets"
• The teachings of Buddha were not
written during his lifetime.
• Teachings were preserved orally and
written down about 400 years later.
Dalai Lama-A Buddhist Leader
“Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether
one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't
appreciate kindness and compassion."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from "Kindness, Clarity, and Insight”
The Dalai Lama is not chosen he is found
He is not chosen, he is found. The current Dalai Lama is a
reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. He was born two
years after his last incarnation ended. Senior Tibetan monks
receive information during meditation which helps them track
down the new Dalai Lama. They have a secret set of criteria
which they use to determine whether the child they have
tracked down is the Dalai Lama. Although, familiarity with the
possessions of the previous Dalai Lama is considered the main
sign of the reincarnation. The search for the reincarnation
typically requires a few years.
The current Dalai Lama is called Tenzin Gyasto
END
Religion by the Numbers
Vocabulary
Philosophy
Religion
Ascetic
Divine
What did the Buddha Teach?
From Sanskrit Buddha means, “one who has
awakened” to true nature of reality
When asked what he taught, the Buddha said: “I
teach suffering and the end of suffering.”
When asked if he was divine or human, the
Buddha said: “I am awake.”
When asked to summarize his teaching, the
Buddha said: “To avoid evil; to do good; to
cleanse one’s mind.”