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Buddhism in the Subcontinent
The essence of Buddhism
 The “middle way of
wisdom and compassion.”
 2,500 year old tradition.
 The 3 jewels of Buddhism:
 Buddha, the teacher.
 Dharma, the teachings.
 Sangha, the community.
Siddhartha Gautama
 Born in NE India
(Nepal).
 Raised in great
Luxury to be a king.
 At 29 he rejected
his luxurious life to
seek enlightenment
and the source of
suffering.
(563-483 BCE)
 Lived a strict,
ascetic life for 6 yrs.
 Rejecting this extreme,
sat in meditation, and
found nirvana.
 Became “The Enlightened
One,” at 35.
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


Sitting under a fig tree (Bo
Tree, from “bodhi”: wisdom)
Experiences enlightenment; sees
true nature of his existence;
Buddha rejects Hindu teaching
of Atman (the eternal, TrueSelf);
develops doctrine of No-Self, or
Anatman
What is the fundamental
cause of all suffering?
Desire!
 Therefore, do not obsess
about oneself.
Four Noble Truths
1.There is
suffering in the
world. To live
is to suffer.
(Dukkha)
Four Noble Truths
2.The cause of
suffering is selfcentered desire
and attachments.
(Tanha)
Four Noble Truths
3. The solution is to
eliminate desire and
attachments.
(Nirvana =
“extinction”)
Four Noble Truths
4. To reach nirvana, one
must follow the Eightfold
Path.
No strict categories: Main idea is that
the inner life influences the outer life
1) Morality: moral action brings about
Meditation
2) Meditation: brings about wisdom
3) Wisdom: gives rise to right moral
actions
All lay Buddhists (Sangha, or
community) are to refrain from…
•
•
•
•
•
Destroying life
Stealing
Sexual misconduct: monastics
abstain
Untrue, deceitful speech
Using intoxicants
Dukkha
(suffering)
 Life has become disordered
Anicca (impermanence)
 The realization of change
Anatta (no-self)
 Since all things change,
including the Self, there
cannot be a permanent Self
Eightfold Path
Nirvana
 The union with the ultimate
spiritual reality.
 Escape from the cycle of
rebirth.
Buddha – 19c Thailand
Buddha’s
head :
2c
Pakistan
Mandala: Wheel of Life Motif
Mandala: Wheel of Life Motif
Buddhist Altar

Samsara literally means ‘wandering on’.

Represents cycle of rebirth and suffering
like a map.
Includes:
3 Root Poisons,
6 Realms,
12 Nidanas,
Mara, Buddha, Moon/Rabbit
rooster
(ignorance),
pig (craving)
snake (hatred)
eating each other to demonstrate
their interdependent nature.
DP
– negative karma – slumped,
gray figures – leading
downward into lower realms;
LP
– positive karma – lay
people, a monk, an ascetic –
leaning into the higher realms.
 Humans
being tortured by
demons, burned in fire and
frozen in ice.
 Your
consciousness remain
until bad karma e.g. hatred
wears off.
 Think:
genocide, starvation,
abuse, being bullied
Usually depicted suffering with a huge belly and
long thin throat to represent unfulfilled desires.
 Dominated
addiction.
by greed, craving and
 This
represents those whose craving is
not in control… they can never be
satisfied.
Think: Gollum from Lord of the Rings;
obsession with eating, shopping,
computer games, drugs, work, etc.
 At
the mercy of humans and other
animals: lack necessary awareness to
become enlightened;
 Dominated
by ignorance and instinct;
 Buddhists
do not believe it is a good
thing to be reborn as an animal;
 Although
they believe in treating every
living thing with loving kindness.
 The
Gods realm is one of extreme bliss
and pleasure;
 Dominated
by pride, complacency,
intoxication;
 For
Buddhists this is as bad as the Hell
realm as instead of being distracted by
pain and suffering you are being
distracted from enlightenment by joy.
Dominated
by jealousy,
resentment, ambition.
Envy
and competition take
over, so do not look to
religious practice.
Think: ruthless big business stock market crash.
 The
in.
most fortunate realm to exist
 It
is said that it is very rare to
find your consciousness here so
the opportunity must not be
wasted.
 Only
in the human realm can we
effectively make choices and
affect our future rebirth.
 Humans
are in the perfect position
for enlightenment of not suffering
too much like
Hell
Hungry Ghost
Animal
Titan realms
whilst neither being distracted by
bliss as in the Gods realm.
Dominated by desire, freedom
of choice, dissatisfaction.
“I don’t want this, I want
that.“
Aim to maximise pleasure and
minimise pain.
These interdependent actions are carried out
instinctively by humans and lead to the
creation of karma.
spiritual ignorance
sensations
mental formations
taking
base consciousness
craving
physical body
becoming (pregnancy)
six senses
birth
contact
old age and death
Types of Buddhism
 Therevada Buddhism
 Mahayana Buddhism
 Tibetan Buddhism
 Zen Buddhism
Theravada Buddhism
 The oldest school of Buddhism.
 The “Way of the Elders” or the
“Small Vehicle.”
 Found in southern Asia.
 The monastic life is the best
way to achieve nirvana.
 Focus on wisdom and meditation.
 Goal is to become a “Buddha,”
or “Enlightened One.”
 Over 100,000,000 followers
today.
Theravada Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
 The “Great Vehicle.”
 Founded in northern Asia
(China, Japan).
 Buddhism “for the masses.”
 Seek guidance from
Boddhisatvas, wise beings.
 Goal: Not just individual
escape from the wheel, but
the salvation of all
humanity through selfsacrifice of those
enlightened few.
Mahayana Buddhism
Seated Boddhisatva – 16c
Bhutan
boddhisatva
Tibetan Buddhism
 The “Diamond Vehicle.” [Vajrayana]
 Developed in Tibet in the
7c CE.
 A mix of Theravada and Mahayana.
 Boddhisatvas include
Lamas, like the
Dalai Lama.
 The Tibetan Book
of the Dead
[Bardo Thodol].
The
Dalai
Lama
zen Buddhism
 The “Meditation School.”
 Seeks sudden enlightenment [satori]
through meditation, arriving at
emptiness [sunyata].
 Use of meditation masters [Roshi].
 Beauty, art, and aesthetics:
 Gardens.
 Archery.
 Tea ceremony.
 Calligraphy.
th
10
Annual western buddhist
monastic conference
California, 2004
Stretching,
bending, balancing
and sitting exercises. Breathing
exercises that aim to control the
mind.
Withdrawing
the attention from
the body and the senses by
focusing on the body.
Concentration
of the
mind.
Meditation.
Uninterrupted
contemplation of Reality.
Chakra
comes from the
Sanskrit, “circle”
The
body is seen as an
energy field w/ seven levels,
each representing a specific
power center
When
chakra energy is
blocked, spiritual
development is hindered and
emotional/physical
difficulties germinate;
A
person can channel through
the chakras.
1. Muladhara…physical base… vigor,
passion, material security…
2. Svadhisthana…sex organs…
creativity, emotions, relationships
with others, sexuality
3. Manipura…solar plexus… personal
power, will, accomplishments, ego,
identity, self-esteem, integrity
4.Anihata…heart…love…
harmony, compassion, peace
5. Vishudda…throat and vocal
chords…communication,
expression, choice, finding our
true voice – connects heart
and mind
6. Ajna…center of forehead…”Third
Eye”…vision, intuition …wisdom…
trust, our decision-making ability
7. Soma…Thousand-Petaled Lotus
Flower…Crown Region…
inspiration, knowledge of truth,
spiritual connection to our Higher
Self
 Colors
1. Red
2. Orange
3. Yellow
4. Green
5. Blue
6. Purple
7. White