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

The “Three Jewels” of Buddhism Buddha – the teacher Dharma – the teachings Sangha – the community

Who was the Buddha? Born Siddhartha Gautama – of noble caste in India, 563 B.C.E. Raised in great luxury to be a king Empathy for the suffering of others; at age 29 rejected the life of luxury to seek enlightenment and the solution to suffering Followed a strict ascetic lifestyle for six years Rejected this extreme, sat in meditation, achieved Nirvana – an awakening to the truth about life, becoming a Buddha, the “Awakened One”at the age of 35 Spent the remaining 45 years of his life teaching others how to achieve the peace of mind he had achieved

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 The way to Nirvana is through the “Eight-Fold Path”

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

How does Buddhism differ from Hinduism? Buddhism rejects… Authority of the ancient Vedic texts The Vedic caste system The Vedic and Hindu deities The efficacy of Vedic worship and ritual The concept of Brahman

How does Buddhism differ from Jainism? Buddhism rejects… The concept of Atman The practice of strict asceticism and withdrawal from the world (preferring the “middle way”) Vegetarianism as required

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

Some lamas are considered reincarnations of their predecessors. These are termed sprul-sku lamas, as distinguished from “developed” lamas, who have won respect because of the high level of spiritual development they have achieved in the present lifetime. The highest lineage of reincarnate lamas is that of Dalai Lama, who was, until 1959 when he went into exile, the temporal ruler of Tibet. The title is given to the head of the dominant order of Tibetan Buddhists, the Dge-lugs-pa (Yellow Hat sect). He is considered the physical manifestation of the compassionate bodhisattva (“buddha-to-be”) Avalokiteshvara. The second highest line of succession is that of the Panchen Lama, head abbot of the Tashilhunpo monastery, believed to be the manifestation of the Buddha Amitabha. Other, lesser sprul- sku lamas, of which there are several thousand, are revered as reincarnations of great saints or teachers, ranked as great, middle, or lesser incarnations. The idea probably originated from the tradition of the 84 mahasiddhas, or master yogins (spiritual adepts, or ascetics), many of whom were identified as manifestations of earlier sages, coupled with the accepted Buddhist belief in rebirth.reincarnationsDalai LamaTibetDge-lugs-pabodhisattvaPanchen LamaBAmitabhamahasiddhas

The Lama of Compassion The 14th Dalai Lama (religious name: Tenzin Gyatsoreligious name

Dalai Lamas are believed to be the reincarnation of Avalokitesvara, an important Buddhist deity and the personification of compassion. Dalai Lamas are also enlightened beings who have postponed their own afterlife and chosen to take rebirth to benefit humanity. "Dalai" means "ocean" in Mongolian (the name "Gyatso" comes from the Tibetan word for ocean). "Lama" is the equivalent of the Sanskrit word "guru," or spiritual teacher. Put together, the title of Dalai Lama is literally "Ocean Teacher," meaning a "teacher spiritually as deep as the ocean."

Lhamo Thondup was born on July 6, 1935 in Taktser, China, northeast of Tibet, to a peasant family. He is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile based in Dharamshala, India. Tibetans believe him to be the reincarnation of his predecessors. For nearly 50 years, he had aimed to establish Tibet as a self- governing, democratic state.

Lhamo Thondup was the fifth of 16 children—seven of whom died at a young age. After several months of searching for a successor to the 13th Dalai Lama and following many significant spiritual signs, religious officials located Lhamo Thondup, at age 2, and identified him as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. Young Lhamo was renamed Tenzin Gyatso and proclaimed the 14th Dalai Lama.

Buddhist Metaphysics Dukkha: life in this world is filled with suffering Anicca: everything in this world is impermanent Suffering is a state of mind – achieve a balanced, peaceful, detached state of mind and suffering can be extinguished (Nirvana)

What are some Buddhist texts? Tripitaka (the Pali Cannon) – the “Three Baskets”: Vinaya (“discipline”) – rules for monastic life Sutta (“discourse”) – sermons of the Buddha Abhidhamma (metaphysical “teachings”) Dhammapada – collected sayings of the Buddha Other texts used by specific schools

The Spread of Buddhism Within two centuries after the Buddha died, Buddhism began to spread north and east into Asia By 13 th century Buddhism had disappeared from India

Schools of Buddhism - Theravada The “Way of the Elders” (a.k.a.: the “small vehicle”) Oldest school of Buddhism Found in southern Asia (Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, etc.) Monasticism is the ideal life for achieving Nirvana A “do-it-yourself” approach to enlightenment Focus on wisdom and meditation Goal is to become a Buddha Fairly unified in belief & practice (some cultural differences)

Schools of Buddhism - Mahayana The “Great Vehicle” Developed first century C.E. Found in Northern Asia (China, Japan, etc.) Lay Buddhism – Buddhism “for the masses” Devotional – seek guidance from Bodhisattvas (“wise beings”) & heavenly Buddhas (kwan Yin, Amida, etc.) Focus on compassion Goal is to become a bodhisattva and assist others toward enlightenment (the “Bodhisattva Ideal”) Diverse schools and sects including: Pureland, Nichiren, Tendai, Shingon, and others

Schools of Buddhism - Tibetan Vajrayana – the “Diamond Vehicle” Developed 7 th century C.E. A mix of Theravada & Mahayana: Rituals (Tantra): Mantras (chanting) Mandalas & Thankas (symbolic images) Mudras (hand gestures) Bodhisattvas, including living Lamas (Dalai Lama) Meditation, monasticism, wisdom & compassion Bardo Thodol -Tibetan Book of the Dead

Schools of Buddhism – Zen The “meditation” school: Lay and monastic Seeks sudden enlightenment (satori) through meditation, arriving at emptiness (sunyata) and the “Buddha Nature” Use of meditation masters (Roshi) Koans (paradoxical riddles to confound reason) Beauty, arts & aesthetics – gardens, archery, the tea ceremony, calligraphy, etc.

Buddhism in the West Over the past two centuries, especially since the later half of the 20 th century, Buddhism has made inroads into the Western world through… Immigration of Asian peoples who have brought their diverse forms of Buddhism to the West Western followers who tend to adopt meditation practices and the philosophy rather than more devotional forms of Buddhism Many such western followers remain within their own faith traditions, finding Buddhism to be a complement to rather than in conflict with other religions The two groups remain independent of one another

Quotation by Siddhãrtha Gautama (Buddha): "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions simply because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it." Created by Laura Ellen Shulman

“Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. We all wish for world peace, but world peace will never be acheived unless we first establish peace within our own minds. We can send so-called 'peacekeeping forces' into areas of conflict, but peace cannot be oppossed from the outside with guns. Only by creating peace within our own mind and helping others to do the same can we hope to achieve peace in this world.” “If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.”