1. Chapter 6: Buddhism Section 3 - Beliefs & Practices Page 251-257
4th Period
Matthew Appleby
Adrian Ballesteros
Luc Ghaleb
Patrick Tovar

2. Introduction The center of Buddhism contains the Four Noble Truths
To Buddhists there are two paths concerning these truths
The first is that either one does not follow them and is stuck in Samsara
The other path states that if one follows the truths, they will in turn be led to the Noble Eightfold Path or the Middle Way
This is a way of life that teaches one to avoid extremes on both sides of the spectrum

3. Four Noble Truths

4. Short Video on the Four Noble Truths

5. The Four Noble Truths The center of all Buddhist beliefs
Derived from Siddhartha Gautama’s earliest sermons
Understanding and accepting the Four Noble Truths will lead you to the Noble Eightfold Path
Reminds you to avoid extremes and to take everything in moderation
If one is ignorant of the Four Noble Truths they will remain in an endless cycle of samsara

6. The First Noble Truth Life is filled with suffering
Both physical and mental suffering that comes from facing traumas of life
We begin our lives with birth trauma and then endure physical, mental and emotional pain, illness, injury, old age, and fear of death
This cycle of suffering is perpetuated by samsara, the endless cycle of suffering through death and rebirth
Suffering also goes beyond life’s physical and mental pains
We suffer because of concepts of impermanence (not permanent), incompleteness, imperfections, and discontent

7. Life’s Impermanence All life is impermanent
All physical beings are constantly changing
Humans age, wood rots, stars collapse
Our feelings and thoughts are also impermanent

8. Anatma
The Buddhist doctrine of anatma states that an unchanging and independent person does not exist
Anatma means “no soul” or “not self”
Ignorance of anatma causes suffering
While Hindus taught that the soul is God (atman), Siddhartha Gautama taught that if the soul is purely God, then it is not a soul
Therefore it is “no soul”

9. The Second Noble Truth The cause of suffering is desire
Humans constantly want things
When we don't get what they want, they are frustrated or disappointed
Even when we do get what we want we are filled with impermanent happiness
Believing that we are permanent & unchanging is the fundamental cause of suffering

10. Third Noble Truth To cease suffering one must cease desiring
To end suffering is to end samsara and achieve Nirvana
The only thing permanent and real is the end of suffering
Suffering ceases when we free ourselves of the bondage of desires and cravings and stop believing that our individual self is real
This freedom brings people happiness and contentment
Nirvana is the “extinction” of that suffering through the endless cycles of rebirth

11. Fourth Noble Truth
The path to the end of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path
This is the Middle Way between indulgence and self-denial
The Noble Eightfold Path is the moral standard of Buddhism

12. Samsara in Buddhism & Hinduism
Both Buddhists & Hindus believe in Samsara
Their concepts of samsara differ greatly
For Hindus, the end of samsara is moksha
Moksha is the realization that the individual self is one with Brahman (Ultimate Reality)
For Buddhists, the end of samsara is Nirvana
This means that we “extinguish” our desires, cravings and passions

13. Nirvana
For Buddhists, Nirvana is neither a positive experience nor negative experience
Nirvana is
One is awakened to the reality of the human condition, no longer ignorant or delusional

14. The Noble Eightfold Path

15. The Noble Eightfold Path
Similar to the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path is a central practice of Buddhism
When one has perfected these practices, they are enlightened and attain Nirvana

16. First Step of Noble Eightfold Path
Right Understanding
One sees things as they really are
Right understanding is the understanding of the causes of suffering, the end of suffering, and the way one endures suffering
This step summarizes the Four Noble Truths

17. Second Step of Noble Eightfold Path
Right Thought
The mind must be purified of all that moves it away from enlightenment
It is not just getting rid of wrong thoughts
It is replacing wrong thoughts with right thoughts of kindness and renunciation
Right thought can be equated with the Christian beatitude of single-heartedness

18. Third Step of the Noble Eightfold Path
Right speech
All forms of lying, slandering, gossiping, and using harsh words must be eliminated
A person must speak truthfully and kindfully about others

19. Fourth Step of the Noble Eightfold Path
Right Conduct
Right conduct calls on people not to cheat, steal, murder, or engage in any kind of sexual misconduct

20. Fifth Step of the Noble Eightfold Path
Right Livelihood
This path calls upon people not to earn a living through actions that would harm other living things
Ex: No hunting, no using any weapons, or no manufacturing or selling intoxicants

21. Sixth Step of the Noble Eightfold Path
Right Effort
This has to do with a person’s thoughts
He/she must be diligent in getting rid of bad or delusional thoughts, while cultivating good, wholesome thoughts

22. Seventh Step of the Noble Eightfold Path
Right Mindfulness
A person is to be aware of everything he or she is thinking and doing
Right mindfulness is being aware of thoughts, feelings, and actions at all times
Right mindfulness means knowing oneself

23. The Eighth Step of the Noble Eightfold Path
Right Concentration
A form of meditation in which a person concentrates on one object
In order to give full attention to the object and dispel other distractions
This is the type of concentration that enables a person to see things as they really are and thus gain enlightenment

24. Noble Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold Path is categorized by three main practices:
Morality
Meditation
Wisdom
Morality brings about Meditation, Meditation brings about Wisdom, and, after completing the circle, Wisdom gives rise to Good Actions

25. Community

26. Sangha
Traditionally, one would associate Sangha with either monks or nuns
It is believed that only people living in a monastic lifestyle could truly practice the teachings of the Buddha
Lay people would perform and take care of material and everyday needs of the monks and nuns in exchange for merit towards rebirth
These days, sangha has expanded to the lay people too

27. Three Jewels of Buddhism
The three Jewels of Buddhism are:
Sangha
The Buddha
Dharma
The three jewels are considered the core of Buddhism and when one becomes a Buddhist, he or she proclaims refuge to these jewels

28. I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the Dharma.
I take refuge in the Sangha.

29. Lay People and Monks
Lay people and monks are interconnected in their everyday lives even though they might seem different
The monks provide the spiritual aspect of life to lay people while the lay people provide monks with the physical aspects of life (Ex. food)

30. Theravada Buddhism An important goal of a buddhist is to reach nirvana
Theravada Buddhists call people who reach nirvana arhat.
For one to be an arhat in Theravada Buddhism, he or she must have heard the teachings of Buddha

31. Mahayana Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhists also accept arhat as the ultimate goal for buddhists
However, the name of an exemplar person in Mahayana Buddhism is bodhisattva
A bodhisattva is one who has chosen to defer full enlightenment until all other humans have first reached nirvana
Essentially, they pass on their spiritual merit to others so that they can reach nirvana before them

32. Mahayana Buddhism
Mahayana Monks follow the same rules as Theravada monks but add more to them
They follow Siddhartha Gautama, his way of life, and his attitudes of peace and compassion to others
For example, the Japanese Sect of Mahayana Buddhism (called zen) make their own livelihood
Another Japanese sect known as shin allows monks to have a family.

33. Section Review
■ The foundations for Buddhist teachings are the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.
■ Sangha is the Buddhist community of monks and lay people.
■ The Three Jewels are considered the core of Buddhism.
■ Monastic and lay lifestyles are different but dependent on one another.

34. QUESTIONS?