1. Buddhism

2. The Story of Buddha
The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, was born in 563 B.C.E, in Kaplilvastu, Nepal into a wealthy noble family.
An astrologer determined that
Siddhartha would either be a
great spiritual leader or a king.
Siddhartha’s father wanted him
to be a king, so kept his son inside
the palace, away from the miseries of the world.

3. Siddhartha's Life as a Prince
Siddhartha married and had a son. He lived his entire life inside his palace until he was 29. One day he left his palace and saw…

4. -An old man

5. A sick man

6. A corpse (dead body)

7. A holy man

8. Finally he realized that every living thing experiences pain and only a holy life offers a a life without suffering.
He left the palace and wandered the Indian forests for 6 years searching for enlightenment.
He became an ascetic, a person who denies themselves basic human comforts to seek religious truth

10. Buddha the Enlightened One
Finally he realized that neither the indulgent life of a prince nor the painful life of an ascetic would show him how to be Enlightened
This attitude is called following the “Middle Path”
He sat under a tree and meditated for 49 straight days until he found the cause of suffering in the world. From then on he became known as “The Buddha” or the “enlightened one.”
Meditate: to spend time in quiet thought for religious purposes or relaxation

12. 4 Noble Truths
Buddha’s first sermon included the 4 main ideas to reach enlightenment.
First Noble Truth: Life is filled with suffering and sorrow.
Second Noble Truth: The cause of all suffering is people’s selfish desire for temporary pleasures in the world.
Third Noble Truth: The way to end all suffering is to end all desires.
Fourth Noble Truth: The way to overcome such desire and attain enlightenment is to follow the Eightfold Path, which is called the Middle Way between desires and self-denial.

13. Eightfold Path
Was a guide to behavior, like a staircase, you must master one step at a time.
Mastery can take many lifetimes.
By following the Eightfold Path anyone can reach nirvana: the release from selfishness & pain and the cycle of rebirth

14. Fill in Your Wheel

15. Noble Eightfold Path Famous People, Actors/Musicians that didn’t/aren’t following the Eightfold Path
Slide 1: Right Understanding _______________
Slide 2: Right Purpose _____________________
Slide 3: Right Speech ______________________
Slide 4: Right Action ______________________
Slide 5: Right Way to Earn a Living ___________
Slide 6: Right Effort _______________________
Slide 7: Right Mindfulness __________________
Slide 8: Right Concentration ________________

16. Hinduism & Buddhism Both believe in reincarnation.
Buddha rejected many gods of Hinduism, privileges of Brahmin priests & the caste system.
The final goals were very similar-moksha for Hindus & nirvana for Buddhists- they are both a state of understanding & a break from the chain of reincarnation.

17. Spread of Buddhism
For centuries after the Buddha’s death Buddhism spread throughout Asia,
In India, the Mauryan Emperor Asoka made it the state religion
Buddhism was spread through Asoka’s missionaries & traders (merchants).
Traders would bring not only their products but the message of Buddhism through Central Asian trade routes called the “silk roads.”