3. Buddhism Adherents as Percentage of Country Population Buddhism adherents clustered in East, SE Asia Estimated Buddhists between 350-500 million Difficult to get an accurate count because: …..Followers often mix Buddhist beliefs with other ethnic Asian Religions (E.G. Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism) ….No congregational memberships to give accurate count …..Buddhism is often practiced in countries with communist rulers that are oppositional to religion in general

4. Top 10 Countries – Number of Buddhists 1 - People’s Republic of China…277.5 million (est.) 2 - Japan…91 million 3 - Vietnam….74 million 4 - Thailand…62 million 5 - Burma…44 million 6 - Republic of China (Taiwan)…18 million 7 - Sri Lanka….16 million 8 - North Korea…15 million 9 - Cambodia…14 million 10 – India – 13 million 14 – United States – 6 million

5. Buddhism… The “middle way of wisdom and compassion” A 2500 year old tradition that began in India and spread and diversified throughout the Far East A philosophy, religion, and spiritual practice followed by more than 300 million people Based on the teachings of the Buddha

6. Siddhartha Gautama (563- 483 BCE)  Born  Born in NE India  Raised  Raised in great luxury to be a king.  At  At 29 he rejected his luxurious life to seek enlightenment and the source of suffering.  Lived  Lived a strict, ascetic life for 6 yrs.  Rejecting  Rejecting this extreme, sat in meditation, and found nirvana.  Became  Became “The Enlightened One,” One,” at 35.

7. What did the Buddha teach? The Four Noble Truths: To live is to suffer The cause of suffering is self-centered desire & attachments The solution is to eliminate desire and attachment, thus achieving Nirvana (“extinction”) The way to Nirvana is through the “Eight- Fold Path”

8. Four Noble Truths  There is suffering in the world. To live is to suffer. (Dukkha)  The Buddha found this out when he was young and experienced suffering and death in others.

9. Four Noble Truths  The cause of suffering is self-centered desire and attachments. (Tanha)

10. What is the fundamental cause of all suffering? Desire!  Therefore,  Therefore, extinguish the self, don’t obsess about oneself.

11. Four Noble Truths  The solution is to eliminate desire and attachments. (Nirvana = “extinction”)

12. Four Noble Truths  To reach nirvana, one must follow the Eightfold Path.

13. What is the Eight-Fold Path? Wisdom: Right understanding Right motivation Moral discipline: Right speech Right action Right livelihood Mental discipline: Right effort Right mindfulness Right meditation

14. Eightfold Path Nirvana  The union with the ultimate spiritual reality.  Escape from the cycle of rebirth.

15. What do Buddhists believe? Rebirth (reincarnation) results from attachments (karma) Nirvana is a peaceful, detached state of mind Achieving Nirvana means escape from the cycle of rebirth Once Gautama Buddha died, after 80 years of life in this world, having achieved Nirvana and teaching multitudes his way of life, he ceased to exist as a distinct being Buddhism is non-theistic: Buddha is not the Buddhist God – he is just a revered teacher

16. Types of Buddhism  Therevada Buddhism  Mahayana Buddhism  Tibetan Buddhism  Zen Buddhism

17. 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.

18. 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 self-sacrifice of those enlightened few.

19. 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.

20. The Dalai Lama

21. Buddhism in the Subcontinent (South Asia) Where did Buddhism begin? Describe the Distribution of Buddhism in South Asia.

22. Diffusion of Buddhism

23. Indian Emperor Ashoka became a Buddhist after initially being a Brutal, violent ruler Sent missionaries, including his own children to spread the Buddha’s Teachings. Missionaries travelled to… - Sri Lanka - Thailand - Burma - Bhutan - Vietnam Today, Buddhism is growing in western cultures because of principles http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1351/1/?redirectUR L=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010- 02-21/a-list-buddhists/

24. Pagodas – Traditional Architecture of Buddhist Sacred spaces

25. Buddhist Temple in Thailand

26. Buddhist Home Shrines Buddhist Home Shrines

27. Sacred Places – Bodh Gaya, India Sacred Places – Bodh Gaya, India Perhaps the holiest site of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment under this Bodhi tree.

28. Lumbini, Nepal…Birthplace of the Buddha

29. Relieve Stress & Meditate: Get a Mantra ! Ohm...mani...padme...hung... Hail to the jewel in the lotus!