Download siddhartha gautama & the path to enlightenment

BUDDHISM
SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA &
THE PATH TO
ENLIGHTENMENT
The Challenges of Hinduism
By 500 B.C., the Indo-Aryans had developed values and
traditions that solidified into the religion of Hinduism
Yet, Hinduism left its followers wedded to the caste system
and with little if any guidance as to how to break the cycle
of samsara in order to achieve moksha
Prince Siddhartha Gautama (c. 560-480 B.C.) would offer
an alternative path to moksha (nirvana) that became known
as the religion of Buddhism
Why did Siddhartha choose to abandon his role as a future
warrior-prince in favor of becoming the Buddha?
Siddhartha’s Quest for Enlightenment
• According to Buddhist tradition,
Siddhartha was born to a royal Aryan
family in what is now Nepal
• His father sought to shelter him from
the real world of pain, suffering, and
death so as to ensure that his son would
succeed him as a great warrior-prince
• Siddhartha’s discovery of suffering
convinced him to pursue an answer that
would help others escape the endless
cycle of reincarnation
• His personal spiritual journey resulted
in achieving enlightenment and
becoming known as the Buddha (“the
enlightened one”)
The Path to Nirvana
The Buddha preached sermons that introduced major
concepts that would serve as a guide to personal
enlightenment
The Four Noble Truths:
1. life is suffering
2. the cause of suffering is selfish desire
3. ending desire will end suffering
4. following the Eightfold Path (the Middle Way)
will result in ending desire and attaining
enlightenment
Enlightenment would set one on the path to achieving
nirvana and a return of the individual soul to the great
Oneness
Buddhism vs. Hinduism
How did the beliefs of Buddhism challenge Hindu
traditions?
* view of the gods
* the caste system
* concepts of dharma
* guides to Enlightenment, including:
potential Buddhas (bodhisattvas)
religious orders (sanghas)
sacred literature (sutras)
The “Three Jewels” of Buddhism
Buddha
“the Enlightened One”
Sangha
“the community of
believers”
Dharma
“the teachings of
the faith”
The Expansion of Buddhism
The Great Stupa at Sanchi in northern
India (pictured below)
• Buddhist missionaries helped to
spread the teachings of the Buddha
throughout northeastern India
• By 200 B.C., Buddhist merchants
and missionaries spread the faith via
trade routes to Sri Lanka, Southeast
Asia, and Central Asia
• Buddhist monasteries along the Silk
Road routes of Central Asia
encouraged the further spread of
Buddhism into China and East Asia
• While Buddhism did not take hold in
northeastern India, the area remains
an important place for Buddhist
pilgrimages
The Flowering & Decline of
Buddhism in India
• In 269 B.C., Asoka became emperor
of the Mauryan Empire, which had
been forged through war by his
grandfather, Chandragupta Maurya
• After a bloody war against the state
of Kalinga, Asoka renounced his
warrior ways and converted to
Buddhism
• His policies promoted religious
tolerance, peace, and nonviolence; he
focused on promoting the well-being
of his people
• Why did Buddhism not take hold in
India, even after Asoka’s reign?
Sculpture of
King Asoka of
India, ruled
269-232 B.C.
Carved
lions atop
one of
Asoka’s
pillars
The last complete
pillar inscribed with
Asoka’s edicts
Buddhism Spreads & Divides
By 100 B.C., Buddhism had divided
into two major branches:
Mahayana – accepts bodhisattvas as
spiritual guides; venerates the Buddha
and other figures; dominant in China,
Korea, Japan, and Vietnam
Theravada – retains traditional view of
Buddhism that each individual must
achieve enlightenment; dominant in
Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka
Shwedagon Pagoda Temple in
Myanmar (Burma)
(pictured left)
Buddhist Art & Architecture
What do each of the artifacts below reveal about Buddhism’s
influence in Asian culture?