1. Buddhism
Grade 6 Social Studies

2. Facts About 490 million people follow Buddhism
Countries with the highest numbers of followers:
China, Thailand, Japan & Burma
4th largest religion in the world
Do not believe in a God

3. History of Buddhism
Founded in Nepal in 563 BCE (before the common era)
Prince Siddhartha Gautama founded it
Known as Buddha

4. Life of Siddhartha Was a prince and never left the palace walls
Didn’t know about sickness, getting older, or death
Left the palace walls for the first time when he was an adult and saw 4 things:
An old man for the first time
A sick man for the first time
A dead man for the first time
A monk

5. Big Change
When he saw the monk he decided to be a monk and not a prince
Left the palace and lived as a holy homeless man
Wanted to find a way to not suffer
Searched for the truth for 6 years but found nothing

6. Enlightenment One day, Buddha sat under a tree
Would not leave until he gained enlightenment
Meditated and he finally understood
Taught others what he learned
This tree is called the bodhi tree
It means tree of wisdom

7. Buddha’s Teachings Four Noble Truths Eightfold Path Created by Buddha
Main part of Buddha's first teaching
Teaches why everything in the world is NOT perfect
Eightfold Path
Teaches followers 8 ways to live
All practiced at the same time
All begin with the word right
Right means “best possible”

8. 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”

9. 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

10. Cycle of Life BIRTH LIFE DEATH
Buddhists say there is a cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth until you gain enlightenment
This cycle goes on and on
This cycle is called reincarnation

11. Karma The actions a person does during his life
There is good karma and bad karma
Whatever you do on purpose to someone, the same thing will happen to you later in life
“You get what you give”

12. Breaking the cycle You can stop the cycle if you gain Enlightenment
This is called Nirvana
Nirvana is perfect peace
Nirvana is freedom from suffering
Buddhists meditate to reach Nirvana

13. Three Jewels of Buddhism
Buddha
Take safety in him
Dharma
Teachings of Buddha
Four Noble Truths
Sangha
The people who follow Buddhism together
Community