1. The Anthropology of Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion
Emotional Rescue

2. Buddhism
founded by Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince from the Himalayan foothills (ca B.C.E.)
Gautama’s mother, Māyā, dreamed that a white elephant descended from heaven and entered her womb

3. Gautama
The priests consulted to interpret this dream told the parents that the son would either be a great king or become a great monk, depending upon what he experienced
Gautama’s mother died soon after giving birth

4. Gautuma
Gautama’s father sequestered his son from the world, and took steps to ensure that he only experienced happiness and beauty
Gautama married the most desirable princess of the land
Together, they had a beautiful son
But Gautama became bored with life

5. Gautama
The gods, aware that Gautama was destined to be the Buddha, were dismayed at the king’s behavior
They agreed that a deva (god) would appear to Gautama to help bring him to his path
The deva appeared to Gautama when he left the palace

6. The “Four Signs” on the 1st day, the deva appeared as an old man
on the 2nd day, the deva appeared as a sick person
on the 3rd day, the deva appeared as a corpse
on the 4th day, the deva appeared as a sannyasin, a wandering monk

7. Gautama’s Quest
Gautama leaves his life of privilege and wealth for a spiritual pursuit
The “renounciation”

8. Gautama’s Quest
he wandered for years, studied with many sages, and learned a wide variety of spiritual practices
meditation
fasting
asceticism

9. Gautama’s Quest
After many years, Gautama finally realized that that no teacher could lead him to the fulfillment of his quest, but that he had to attain it on his own
The “middle path”

10. the “tree of enlightenment” (Ficus religiosus)
Gautama’s Quest
One day, he came to the Bodhi tree
He vowed to remain there until he either died or attained enlightenment
Gautama began to meditate
the “tree of enlightenment” (Ficus religiosus)

11. Gautama’s Quest
Mara, the “tempter” (who uses desire, fear, distraction), attempts to divert him from his quest
he appears as a messenger with sad news from his home
he sends his three beautiful daughters to seduce him
by challenging his generosity
Gautama is not diverted

12. 3 Stages of Enlightenment
Gautama gains knowledge of his prior lives and states
His “third eye” of omniscient vision opens
He understands from within the nature of the “chain of causation”
Gautama becomes the Buddha,
the “Enlightened One”

13. The “Four Noble Truths”
that existence coincides with dukkha (pain, suffering)
that dukkha has a cause
that dukkha also has a cessation
that there is a path which leads to the cessation of dukkha

14. The “Eight-Fold Path” right views right aspiration right speech
1 & 2: regulate attitude 3, 4, 5 & 6: regulate behavior 7 & 8: regulate meditative dimensions of human life
right views
right aspiration
right speech
right action
right means of livelihood
right effort
right awareness
right concentration

15. Buddha’s Teachings therapeutic in nature
the normal condition of the organism is health; a doctor works to remove the obstacles to health
our normal spiritual state is also one of health; when a person takes refuge in a viewpoint (= dogma), then the fever of desire burns

16. Buddha’s Teachings
the three poisons which feed the flame of self- ishness are:
ignorance
desire
fear
Nirvana is the state in which this flame is extinguished
Once the flame is extinguished, there will be no rebirth

17. Buddha’s Teachings
Buddha did not concern himself with metaphysics, but with the phenomena of existence
There is no “first cause” or “god” – this is a meaningless concept
The teachings were like a raft used to cross the river – you do not need them (and hence should abandon them) after you have successfully crossed

18. “When one gives up trying to understand, then one may be enlightened” Nagarjuna