1. Buddhism’s Basic Beliefs

2. Origins Founded in India approximately 2500 years ago
Today there are about 350 million adherents worldwide → 4th largest religion
Dominant religion in China, Japan, Thailand. Cambodia, Tibet, Viet Nam

3. The Life of Buddha Buddha → Means the Enlightened or The Awakened One
Buddha was born Siddhartha Gautama 563 BCE
Member of Kshatriya caste
Father was King Shuddhodana, mother Queen Maya
Early life of Buddha not recorded until hundreds of year after his death
Later versions include many miraculous events implying Siddartha had a virgin birth

4. Early Life
Upon his birth, it was prophesized that Gautama would grow to be either a powerful King or a spiritual leader
His father wanted hiim to be a King – did everything to distract him from matters of faith – every pleasure was seen to
Siddartha grew restless and desired to see the “real world”
He ventured outside his palace and saw 4 sights that would change his perspective

5. The Four Sights An old man A Sick man A corpse (dead man) A monk
These sights caused Siddartha to question his own experience and the question the true meaning of life if it all ends in suffering and eventually death

6. The Goal of Buddhists
The goal of all Buddhists is to achieve a state of enlightenment → Nirvana
Nirvana - not clearly defined by Buddha – generally refers to the extinction of suffering

7. Buddhist concepts related to Hinduism
Siddartha Gautama (the Buddha) was Hindu, thus it is not surprising that many religious concepts of Hinduism appear in Buddhism.
Karma
Dharma
Samsara
Nirvana

8. Hindu concepts rejected by Buddha
Fatalism – grand order to things – everything is pre-determined → we are in control of our destiny!
Authority of the Vedas and Upanishads → not absolute knowledge → knowledge lies within and comes also through experience
Caste → contrary to the notion that all souls are equal – social divisions are made by man
Religious rituals → worship of deities, offerings, chants, sacrifices are meaningless
Salvation takes many lifetimes → salvation could occur within one life

9. Reaction to Gautama’s ideas
Gautama was considered a heretic → one who goes against accepted beliefs of a religion

10. The Nature of Existence:
Three ideas characterize the physical world:
Annica
Dukkha
Anatta

12. Anicca → impermanence
Buddha rejected the idea that the physical realm is “illusion”
Our experience is very real – the problem is that our states of happiness are very brief and followed by periods of dissatisfaction – everything is constantly changing!
Change is the only constant in the universe; nothing stays the same
Everything material will decay / breakdown – this is the source of our dissatisfaction in life

13. Which is your true self?

14. Dukkha → dissatisfaction
All living things experience suffering – to live is to suffer (both physically and emotionally)
No such thing as continuous happiness / pleasure
Suffering is real, not illusion
Suffering / dissatisfaction is a state of mind
Suffering leads to desire, which ultimately leads to more suffering because our desires are endless

17. Anatta → no-self doctrine
There is no permanent independent self
Each individual is a tiny collection of hopes, fears, thoughts, feelings and physical matter that is constantly changing
Each soul is a “drop from the ocean”

18. The Four Sights
Feeling spiritually unfulfilled Siddartha secretly left his palace at the age 29 to see the “real” world.
His experience is referred to at The Four Sights
Old man
Sick man
Dead man
Monk

19. Meaning of the Four Sights
Old age, sickness and death are inevitable and come to ALL people regardless of wealth or social status
We live our life in denial of these things for, to think of them would cause us great distress
Monk – seeks the answer to “life’s riddle” through self denial

20. The Middle Way
Siddhartha learned to meditate – good but meditation did not lead to an answer
Next he tried a life of extreme self denial – living on a grain of rice per day – he became ill
Concluded that a life of extremes (indulgence & self-denial) is unsatifying and provoked further cravings
The answer must be pursued through the Middle Way – path between extremes

21. Enlightenment
While meditating under the Bodi Tree Siddartha achieved supreme realization – enlightenment – regarding the nature suffering and the path to the elimination of suffering

22. Buddhism addresses the questions that lies at the heart of all humanity:
Why do I suffer?
What is the cause suffering?
How can I end suffering?

23. 1. The Noble Truth of Suffering:
To live is to suffer → dhukka
Suffering → dissatisfaction → because we are physical beings we can never be truly satisfied
We are perpetually wanting

24. 2. The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering
We suffer because we desire – attachment to this world
Desire is caused by ignorance / delusion – we believe we can satisfy our desires
What we most desire causes the greatest suffering

25. 3. The Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering
If desire is the root of suffering, then to end suffering we must conquer desire
End desire → detach from material world – let it go!

26. 4. The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Extinction of Suffering
To end desire → follow the Noble Eight Fold Path

27. The Noble Eight Fold Path
1.Right View
Wisdom
2. Right Intention
3. Right Speech
Ethical Conduct
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
Mental Development
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration