Caroline Bielaszka and Michelle Palys

Founded by a religious teacher, Siddhartha Gautama Lived from 563 to 483 BCE Known as the Buddha, which means “the enlightened one” Encountered human suffering in the form of sickness and old age Wandered in search of the meaning of life and cause of suffering Understood that all suffering is caused by human desire, greed and ignorance Founded an order of monks to spread his ideas 250 years after his death, Indian Emperor set up inscribed stone pillars at the important sites of Siddhartha’s life and teachings This is a statue of Buddha. It is carved in stone to show everyone how important he was to this religion.

Four Noble Truths 1.All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow 2.The cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions, such as riches, power, and long life 3.The only cure for suffering is to overcome desire 4.The way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path The Eightfold Path “Right views, right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right contemplation.” First two steps included understanding the Four Noble Truths and committing oneself to the Eightfold Path Next, a person had to live a moral life, avoiding evil words and actions Final goal is Nirvana, union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth

Buddhists had to give up their jobs to devote themselves to good acts and mediation They have to believe in the idea of reincarnation, which states that we are reborn in an endless cycle Buddhist children need to go to Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism schools to learn more Richer Buddhists started to give larger donation for the poor The monasteries got revenue that they used as funds for the poor The monasteries then received revenue which they used as funds for the poor Some of the funds helped create health centers out of monasteries. The poor were then given free medical treatment and it enhanced the condition of the lower class This is a picture of Buddhist Monks meditating. It is important throughout the religion because they have to devote time to their God

Buddhists have two kinds of festivals Several key events in the life of Buddha Mainly his birth, enlightenment, and death In different parts of the world, Buddhists observe events in many ways In Japan, Buddhists celebrate Buddha’s birthday by decorating their temples with flowers and pouring sweet tea over statues of the infant Buddha Honors the community of Buddhists Monks Marks the end of the monks’ annual retreat Groups of villagers perform a ceremony called the Kathina, in which they give robes to the monks This is a picture of on of the festivals that Buddhists celebrate. During this festivals, many people pay homage to the life of Buddha.

In 1893, Buddhism came to the American heartland During the 20 th century, Buddhism was established in most of western Europe (it became a presence in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Scandinavia, Spain, and Greece) During the 21 st century, Buddhists explore the ways that their tradition relates to the changing social, cultural, and political situations in the world around them Reaches around the world 70% of Vietnamese are Buddhist Today, there are as many different kinds of Buddhism in the U.S., as there are in Asia

This is a map that shows Buddhism around the world. This is important because you can see all the different types of Buddhism and where they are generally located in the world.

NHS Databases: "Buddhism." Exploring Ancient Civilizations. Marshall Cavendish Digital, Web. 12 December Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor., Anthony Esler, and Burton F. Beers. Prentice Hall World History: Connections to Today. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, Print. Myers, Robert J. "Feasts and Festivals." World Book Student. World Book, Web. 14 Dec Schober, Juliane. "Buddhism." World Book Student. World Book, Web. 12 Dec Wangu, Madhu Bazaz. Buddhism. New York: Facts On File, Print. Pictures: Buddha: giant-buddha-statue-in-japan-with-a-bright-blue-sky-in-the-background.htmlhttp:// giant-buddha-statue-in-japan-with-a-bright-blue-sky-in-the-background.html Monks meditating: Festival: festivals.htmlhttp://decktheholidays.blogspot.com/2011/02/buddhist-holidays-and- festivals.html Map: