Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama A prince with every “everything”, discovers a great deal of human suffering outside “his world.” Gives up “everything” to seek the cure for human suffering. Goal: To seek Nirvana Means end of the self and a reunion in life with the Great Soul Four Noble Truths 1.Ordinary life is suffering 2.This suffering is caused by our desire to satisfy ourselves 3.The way to end suffering is to end desire for selfish goals and to see others as extensions of ourselves 4.The way to end desire is to follow the middle path “The Middle Path” Next Page 1.Stupas and temples were built to honor the death of Gautama. Stupas are stone towers that house relics of the Buddha

The Middle Path Right View:Right View: We need to know the Four Noble Truths Right Intention:Right Intention: We need to decide what we really want Right Speech:Right Speech: We must seek to speak truth and to speak well of others Right Action:Right Action: The Buddha gave five precepts: “Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not be unchaste. Do not take drugs or alcohol.” Right livelihood:Right livelihood: We must do work that uplifts our being. Right effort:Right effort: The Buddha said, “Those who follow the Way might well follow the example of an ox that arches through the deep mud carrying a heavy load. He is tired, but his steady, forward-looking gaze will not relax until he is out of the mud.” Right mindfulness:Right mindfulness: We must keep our minds in control of our senses: “All we are is the result of what we have thought.” Right concentration:Right concentration: We must meditate to see the world in a new way.

Two Religions

Why Fat Buddha Statues? The "Fat Buddha" is not THE Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama The statue is not an idol. Rubbing the belly of a fat Buddha Statue is not a prayer of any sort… it's just a more or less superstitious habit Buddha means "one who has achieved a state of perfect enlightenment" and there are several people who have been given the title. Siddhartha lived from around B.C. 560 to B.C. 480, it was not until around 127 BC that statues actually depicting him became prevalent. Nobody knew what he really looked like, he was from a noble family and had been described as tall, slender, and of "manly build", but that may have been just because that is what people expected "Nobles" to look like. The image of a fat overfed Buddha didn't fit with his teachings, and an "enlightened one" might be so enlightened as to disregard material needs like eating… Buddhism reached China around 100AD, and was wide spread there by 600AD. We get three theories on Fat Buddha.

And finally the theory held by most Buddhist scholars. A sagely Zen monk appeared in China around 850 A.D. and died in 916A.D. He said his name was "Knowing This" (ChiChe). No one knew where he came from, he carried a big fat bag and was famous for his fat belly. When asked how to obtain nirvana he would lay down the bag and not said a word. When asked about what happened after reaching nirvana he would pick up the bag and walk away, still not a word. It is pretty much accepted that such a monk existed. He is probably the inspiration for Fat Buddha, as the statues began appearing in the late 800's, 1200 years after the Gautama's death. If you'll look at an authentic Fat buddha, you'll see he has a sack on his back. First the physical image of a Noble was not athletic or a warrior, but a well fed person of leisure. People tried to rub a fat man's belly in hopes of luck and ample meals. Then there is the story of a Chinese Buddhist monk in the 6th century, who just happened to have a belly that shook like jelly, he was a kind fellow who dedicated himself to helping others, and was regarded as the incarnation of the Boddhisatva Metteya, who had reached nirvana but stayed around just to help people.