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Buddhism
World History/Napp
“The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, was born into a noble family that lived
in Kapilavastu, in the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal. According to Buddhist legend,
the baby exhibited the marks of a great man. A prophecy indicated that if the child stayed
at home he was destined to become a world ruler. If the child left home, however, he would
become a universal spiritual leader. To make sure the boy would be a great king; his father
isolated him in his palace. Separated from the world, Siddhartha married and had a son.
Siddhartha never ceased thinking about the world that lay outside, which he had never
seen. When he was 29, he ventured outside the palace four times. First he saw an old man,
next a sick man, then a corpse, and finally a wandering holy man who seemed at peace with
himself. Siddhartha understood these events to mean that every living thing experiences old
age, sickness, and death and that only a religious life offers a refuge from this inevitable
suffering. Siddhartha decided to spend his life searching for religious truth and an end to
life’s suffering. So, soon after learning of his son’s birth, he left the palace.
Siddhartha wandered through the forests of India for six years seeking enlightenment, or
wisdom. He tried many ways of reaching an enlightened state. He first debated with other
religious seekers. Then he fasted, eating only six grains of rice a day. Yet none of these
methods brought him to the truth, and he continued to suffer. Finally, he sat in meditation
under a large fig tree. After 49 days of meditation, he achieved an understanding of the
cause of suffering in this world. From then on, he was known as the Buddha, meaning “the
enlightened one.” The Buddha preached his first sermon to five companions who had
accompanied him on his wanderings. In it, he laid out the four main ideas that he had
come to understand in his enlightenment. He called those ideas the Four Noble Truths.”
~ World History
1- Who was the founder of Buddhism and into what kind of family was he born?
2- Why did Siddhartha’s father isolate him in the palace?
3- What did Siddhartha see when he ventured outside the palace?
4- According to Siddhartha, why was religious life important?
5- Describe the various ways Siddhartha tried to reach an enlightened state.
6- What understanding did Siddhartha achieve after 49 days of meditation?
7- Define the following terms: Buddha and the Four Noble Truths.
The Eightfold Path
- The Eightfold Path
was a guide to
behavior
- Right View
- Right Resolve
- Right Speech,
- Right Conduct
- Right Livelihood
- Right Effort
- Right Mindfulness
- Right Concentration
Comparison
- As in Hinduism,
the Buddha
accepted the idea of
reincarnation
- However, the
Buddha rejected
the many gods of
Hinduism
- He taught a way
of enlightenment
By following the
Eightfold Path,
anyone could reach
nirvana, the Buddha’s
word for release from
selfishness and pain
- The Buddha
reacted against the
privileges of the
Brahmin priests,
and rejected the
caste system
- Nirvana is the end of
suffering, the end of
reincarnation
- The final goals of
both religions –
moksha for Hindus
and nirvana for
Buddhists – are
similar; both
involve perfect
understanding and
a break from
reincarnation
- Buddhists are
encouraged to follow
the “Middle Path” – to
avoid extremes
Society
- The five disciples
who heard the
Buddha’s first
sermon were the
first monks admitted
to the sangha, or
Buddhist religious
order
- At first, the sangha
was a community of
Buddhist monks and
nuns; however,
sangha eventually
referred to the entire
religious community
- The religious
community,
together with the
Buddha and the
dharma (Buddhist
teachings), make up
the “Three Jewels”
of Buddhism
- The Buddha
reluctantly admitted
women to religious
orders
India
- During the
centuries following
the Buddha’s death,
missionaries were
able to spread his
faith over large parts
of Asia
- Buddhist
missionaries went to
Sri Lanka and
Southeast Asia in the
third century B.C.
- Buddhist ideas also
traveled along
Central Asian trade
routes to China
- However,
Buddhism never
gained a significant
foothold in India, the
country of its origin
1- Identify the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.
2- What is the Eightfold Path and what are eight actions encouraged?
3- What is the “Middle Path”?
4- Define nirvana.
5- What is a belief shared by Hindus and Buddhists?
6- What is a Hindu idea rejected by Buddhists?
7- How are nirvana and moksha similar?
8- Define sangha.
9- What are Buddhists referring to when they speak of dharma?
10- How did Buddhism spread?
“As important as missionaries were to the spread of Buddhism, traders played an even
more crucial role in this process. Along with their products, traders carried Buddhism
beyond India to Sri Lanka. Buddhist religion was also brought southeast along trade
routes to Burma, Thailand, and the island of Sumatra. Likewise, Buddhism followed the
Central Asian trade routes, called the Silk Roads, all the way to China. From China,
Buddhism spread to Korea – and from Korea to Japan. The movement of trade thus
succeeded in making Buddhism the most widespread religion of East Asia. Throughout
human history, trade has been a powerful force for the spread of ideas.” ~ World History

Why were traders as important as missionaries to the spread of Buddhism?

What were the Silk Roads?

What succeeded in making Buddhism the most widespread religion of East Asia?
The Buddhist religion teaches that salvation
is earned by
(1) following the Ten Commandments
(2) worshiping Allah as the one true god
(3) learning to give up selfish desire
(4) being baptized and confirmed
All of the following are steps or actions on
the Noble Eightfold Path EXCEPT
(1) Right Mindfulness
(2) Right Effort
(3) Right View
(4) Right Movement
The Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths,
and the concept of nirvana are associated
with the religion of
(1) Islam
(2) Jainism
(3) Shinto
(4) Buddhism
Buddhism originated in
(1) Japan
(2) China
(3) India
(4) Korea
Which values are most closely associated
with the fundamental principles of
Buddhism?
(1) competition and financial success
(2) maintaining the caste system and
providing education for all people
(3) practicing nonviolence and giving up
worldly desires
(4) self-determination and democracy
The Buddha's first disciples were
(1) His wife and child.
(2) His five former ascetic companions.
(3) The great King Ashoka.
(4) Members of the warrior-noble caste.
The founder of Buddhism circa 500 B.C.
was
(1) Guru Nanak
(2) Confucius
(3) Siddhartha Gautama
(4) Abraham
The primary goal of Buddhism is
(1) Samsara
(2) Moksha
(3) Heaven
(4) Nirvana
Unlike Hinduism, Buddhists reject
(1) Karma
(2) Reincarnation
(3) Nirvana
(4) Caste
All of the following are “truths” of the Four
Noble Truths EXCEPT
(1) Life has suffering
(2) Selfish desire causes suffering
(3) Suffering can never end
(4) Follow the Noble Eightfold Path
Siddhartha’s father prevented him from
leaving the palace because he feared
(1) That Siddhartha would become a
fearsome warrior
(2) That Siddhartha would lead a life of
pleasure
(3) That Siddhartha would give up his
princely title and become a religious man
(4) That Siddhartha would want a more
magnificent palace
All of the following are the “Three Jewels of
Buddhism” EXCEPT
(1) The Sangha
(2) The Dharma
(3) The Buddha
(4) The Land that is India