1. BUDDHISM Origin: northern India 360 million followers
Founder: Siddhartha Gautama (aka the Buddha)

2. Buddhism, continued
Buddha: literally means “one who has awakened”; the enlightened one.
Purpose: to find the middle way, rejecting the extremes in an effort to achieve nirvana.

3. Buddhism Believe In. Believe in …
Reincarnation (cycle of birth, death, and rebirth)
Nirvana (achieving peace of one’s mind and body, union with the universe, release from the cycle of rebirth)

4. Buddhism Do Not Believe In.
Prayer,
Eternal life in a heaven or hell
God/God’s
The need for a personal savior
Formal rituals

5. Four Noble Truths Believe the FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS All life is suffering
Suffering is caused by desire
To eliminate suffering, eliminate desire
To eliminate desire follow the eightfold path

6. Buddhism Eightfold Path.
Follow the Eightfold Path to achieve the middle way:
Right understanding
Right thinking
Right speech
Conduct
Livelihood
Effort
Mindfulness
Concentration

7. Buddhism, cont. Teach that DESIRE causes suffering.
NIRVANA can be achieved if desire can be overcome and one can lead a life without pain and suffering.

8. KARMA:
What comes around, goes around.
CAUSE OF NEXT LIFE = KARMA

9. 1) RIGHT UNDERSTANDING
Understanding reality through the Four Noble Truths
Seeing through illusions

10. 2) RIGHT THOUGHT/MOTIVES
Uncover ‘unwholesome’ emotional roots that guide our thinking
Discover and weed out
Only then do we become free from self-centredness

11. 3) RIGHT SPEECH VS. - Vain talk, gossip, harsh words, lying
Communication must further truth and harmony
Including ‘self-talk’: “May you be well and happy today…”

12. 4) RIGHT ACTION FIVE RULES OF MORAL CONDUCT: DO NOT DESTROY LIFE
DO NOT STEAL
AVOID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
DO NOT LIE
DO NOT USE INTOXICANTS
ABOVE ALL: ALL ACTIONS SHOULD BE BASED ON CLEAR UNDERSTANDING

13. 5) RIGHT LIVELIHOOD How one makes their living
One’s work should not harm others

14. 6) RIGHT EFFORT
Refers to the constant effort that must be put into achieving these goals
IT TAKES EFFORT!

15. LIKE AN ELEPHANT FROM THE MUD.”
7) RIGHT MINDFULNESS
The way to liberation is through the mind
“CHECK YOUR MIND
BE ON GUARD
PULL YOURSELF OUT
LIKE AN ELEPHANT FROM THE MUD.”

16. 8) RIGHT MEDITATION Applying mental discipline to quiet the mind
THE MIND IS SUBTLE, INVISIBLE, AND TREACHEROUS
USE SKILFUL MEANS TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND ITS NATURE