BUDDHISM WORLD RELIGIONS ANTHROPOLOGY NEW DIMENSIONS

Demographics  Vedic faith  Common roots, ancient India  Hinduism  Buddhism  Jainism  Buddhism emerged in the 5-6 th centuries BCE  Current evidence of a revitalization  Has been suppressed significantly by the Chinese in the 20 th century

Origin/History  Buddha  A title reflecting the embodiment of perfect wisdom and perfect compassion  Means “Enlightened One” or “Awakened”  Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama, founder of Buddhism  Born in Sakyas (Nepal and India)  BCE or BCE

Deities  No supreme power  Quest for enlightenment  There have been many Buddhas and there will be many in the future

Creation  No one creator  Life is cyclical  Universe is without a beginning or an end  Repeated cycles of birth and death  Reincarnation  Soul is reborn into different bodies and forms

Siddhartha Guatama  Born to the King and Queen of Sakyas  Lived in luxury and riches  Ventured outside the palace, disturbed greatly by daily life and death  Met a holy man and began to seek enlightenment  Great Renunciation  Gave up his princely life at 29  Left his wife and child behind  Left on horseback in the middle of the night to Gotana

4 NOBLE TRUTHS  At Bodh Gaya, these truths came to Buddha as he was meditating  Cross legged, in a trance  Being tempted by Mara, the evil one 1.Suffering exists. 2.There is a reason for suffering. 3.There is a way to end suffering. 4.The way to end suffering is through The Eightfold Path.

THE EIGHTFOLD PATH 1. Right views—knowing and understanding the Four Noble Truths. 2. Right thoughts—letting go of want and desire, and acting with kindness to avoid hurting anything. 3. Right speech—telling the truth, speaking kindly and wisely. 4. Right action—not stealing or cheating. 5. Right livelihood—earning a living that does not cause bloodshed or harm to others. 6. Right effort—encouraging and developing positive thought in order to keep to the Path. 7. Right mindfulness—being aware of thoughts and actions that affect the world now and in the future. 8. Right concentration—this is the peaceful state of mind that arises through correct practice of the Eightfold Path.

Main Tenets  Following and preserving the teachings of Buddha  Karma: “action or deed”  Live a good life and you will be reborn into a more enlightened form  Reincarnation  Ultimate goal is Nirvana (“perfect bliss”)  To be released from the law of karma altogether  To rid oneself of ego and worldliness

Death/Afterlife  Science of dying  Important and complex rules found in the Tibetan Book of the Dead

Sacred/Holy Texts  Dhammapada  “Words of Doctrine”, “Way of Truth”  Teachings and conversations of Buddha  Pali Canon  “Three Baskets”

Rituals & Worship  Veneration of the Buddha  Temple or home  Stand before an image of the Buddha and recite the three refuges (devotions) and bow three times  Spiritual leaders not involved in births or marriages

Spiritual Leaders  Monks and nuns, or Sangha  Teaching, studying, communal life  Relationship with laity  Monks have to accept the 5 Precepts

Lifestyle Practices  Meditation  Buddha reaches enlightenment this way  Zen  Potential for enlightenment is in everyone but is dormant because of ignorance

Festivals/ Holidays  Center around pilgrimages to:  Buddha’s places of birth and death  Bodh Gaya  Buddha found enlightenment  Sarnath  Buddha preached his first sermon on The Four Noble Truths

Subdivisions/Sects  Theravada  More conservative  Literal interpretations of texts  Mahayana  Figurative interpretations of the texts  Zen Buddhism  Political and administrative disagreements, not theological