Attachments cause suffering 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:

He sees an elderly person and realizes that everything decays. He sees an invalid and realizes that everything suffers. He sees a corpse and realizes that everything perishes. 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 suffering- The Middle Way/Eightfold Path

Eight-fold Path / Middle Way Wisdom: 1. Right views 2. Right thoughts/Intentions Morality: 3. Right speech 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 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.”