Buddhism Googleimages.com

A Way of Life To many, Buddhism goes beyond religion and is more of a philosophy or 'way of life' The major tenets are … (1) to lead a moral life (2) to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions (3) to develop wisdom and understanding (“Introduction to Buddhism”)

Who was the Buddha? Born Siddhartha Gautama in 563 B.C.E. He was of the noble caste in India At the age of 29 he rejected the life of luxury He sought enlightenment and the solution to suffering (“Introduction to Buddha”) Googleimages.com

The Wandering Ascetic He followed a strict ascetic lifestyle for six years Then he realized even this was too extreme He became Buddha, the “Awakened One”at the age of 35 He spent the remaining 45 years of his life teaching others how to achieve the peace of mind he had achieved (“Introduction to Buddha”)

The Four Noble Truths: 1- To live is to suffer 2- The cause of suffering is self-centered desire & attachments 3- The solution is to eliminate desire and attachment, thus achieving Nirvana (“extinction”) 4- The way to Nirvana is through the “Eight-Fold Path” (“Introduction to Buddhism”)

What is the Eight-Fold Path? Mental discipline: Right effort Right mindfulness Right meditation Moral discipline: Right speech Right action Right livelihood Wisdom: Right understanding Right motivation

Three Marks of Existence Anicca (Sanskrit anitya) = impermanence Dukkha (Sanskrit duhkha) = unsatisfactoriness Anatta (Sanskrit anatman) = non-self (“Three Marks of Existence”)

Buddhist Metaphysics Dukkha: life in this world is filled with suffering Anicca: everything in this world is impermanent Anatta: the self/soul is also impermanent – there is no eternal, unchanging self (“no soul” – no atman) (“Metaphysics”)

What do Buddhists believe? Rebirth (reincarnation) results from attachments (karma) Nirvana is a peaceful, detached state of mind  Once Gautama Buddha died, after 80 years of life in this world, having achieved Nirvana and teaching multitudes his way of life, he ceased to exist as a distinct being Buddhism is non-theistic: Buddha is not the Buddhist God – he is just a revered teacher

How are Buddhism and Hinduism Similar? Buddhists and Hindus believe … Karma is a cycle of cause and effect “Similar actions will lead to similar results” (Santina) Dharma is duty Samsara is the cycle of rebirth (“Major Differences”)

How are Buddhism and Hinduism Different? Buddhism rejects… Authority of the ancient Vedic texts The Vedic caste system The Vedic and Hindu deities The efficacy of Vedic worship and ritual The concept of Brahman (“Major Differences”)

For Example … There are no supreme dieties in Buddhism Buddha is not an Avatar, he is a holy man Buddha is omniscient, not omnipotent Moksha is happiness on earth while Nirvana is an escape from it entirely (“Major Differences”)

Schools of Buddhism - Theravada Oldest school of Buddhism Found in southern Asia (Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, etc.) Monasticism is the ideal life for achieving Nirvana A “do-it-yourself” approach to enlightenment Focus on wisdom and meditation Goal is to become a Buddha Pāli Canon = word of Buddha (“Theravada Ideal”) Buddhanet.net

Schools of Buddhism - Mahayana Developed first century C.E. Found in Northern Asia (China, Japan, etc.) Buddhism “for the masses” Group, not individual end to suffering Believe Buddha’s can help lead to enlightenment "Āgamas" as well as Pali Canon Diverse schools and sects (“Bodhisattva Ideal”) Buddhanet.net

Schools of Buddhism - Tibetan Developed 7 th century C.E. A mix of Theravada & Mahayana:  Rituals (Tantra):  Mantras (chanting)  Mandalas & Thankas (symbolic images)  Mudras (hand gestures)  Bodhisattvas, including living Lamas (Dalai Lama)  Scriptures  Between the 11th and 14th centuries, the Tibetans translated every available Buddhist text into Tibetan..  Tibetan Book of the Dead Buddhanet.net

Schools of Buddhism –Zen The “meditation” school: Seeks sudden enlightenment (satori) through meditation, arriving at emptiness (sunyata) and the “Buddha Nature” Use of meditation masters (Roshi) Beauty, arts & aesthetics – gardens, archery, the tea ceremony, calligraphy, etc.

What are some Buddhist texts? Tripitaka aka the “Three Baskets”:  Vinaya (“discipline”) – rules for monastic life  Sutta (“discourse”) – sermons of the Buddha  Abhidhamma (metaphysical “teachings”) Dhammapada – collected sayings of the Buddha

The Spread of Buddhism Within two centuries after the Buddha died, Buddhism began to spread north and east into Asia By 13 th century Buddhism had disappeared from India Buddhanet.net

Buddhist Populations Buddhanet.net

A quick note about the Citations All of the information in this presentation comes from Buddhanet.net The citations reference the articles on the cite