1. Chapter 4: Ancient India and China
Section 3 - Buddhism
Dharmachakra, the Wheel of Truth, represents the truth about our situation and the many ways of understanding it more clearly. The Buddha encouraged people to rely on their own experience, rather than depending upon or worshiping authority figures or gods. His teaching is often called "turning the wheel of the dharma."

2. Section 3 - Buddhism Main Idea
Buddhism, which teaches people that they can escape the suffering of the world through the Buddha’s teachings, developed in India and spread to other parts of Asia and the world.
Objectives
How did the early life of the Buddha lead to the beginnings of Buddhism?
What are the major teachings of Buddhism?
What areas were affected by the spread of Buddhism?

4. Buddhism was founded in India by Siddhartha Gautama
A. The Buddha
Buddhism was founded in India by Siddhartha Gautama
Siddhartha seeking enlightenment

5. A. The Buddha
c. 563 BC – Born a prince, raised in luxury and shielded from the realities of life

6. A. The Buddha
Age 29: left his palace and was shocked to see disease, old age, and death

7. A. The Buddha
Gave up his life of luxury and left his loved ones - the Great Renunciation
Prince Siddhartha looks at his wife and son before leaving the palace
Prince Siddhartha leaves the city and starts a homeless life

8. A. The Buddha
Spent 6 years wandering, meditating and fasting, in a search to understand suffering
For months, Siddhartha underwent hardships by the banks of the Nairanjana River.  So great were his austerities that the ribs of his back could be seen.  He drank one drop of water a day.  He ate only one grain of rice a day and in this way achieved the highest meditative state

9. A. The Buddha
Discovered the truth that forms the basis of life and became the Buddha - the “Enlightened One”
Prince Siddahartha attained Enlightenment on the eighth of December under the Bodhi tree after realizing the true cause of suffering in this life

10. A temple was built at Bodh Gaya, the place where he sat and meditated
A. The Buddha
A temple was built at Bodh Gaya, the place where he sat and meditated
Mahabodhi Temple
Great Buddha Statue

11. B. The Buddha’s Teachings
Enlightenment and salvation come from knowing the “Four Noble Truths” and following the “Eightfold Path”
The Four Noble Truths:
Suffering part of human life
Suffering comes from the desire for pleasure and material goods
Overcoming desires during life eventually brings end to suffering
Desires can be overcome by following Eightfold Path

12. B. The Buddha’s Teachings
Following the Eightfold Path led to nirvana; others lived through cycle of suffering again
Nirvana is an eternal state of being. It is the state in which the law of karma and the rebirth cycle come to an end. It is the state of perfect peace in which the soul is freed from suffering forever, a state where there are no desires and individual consciousness comes to an end.

13. B. The Buddha’s Teachings
Basic teaching of Eightfold Path is the Middle Way - living in moderation, avoiding extremes

14. C. The Spread of Buddhism
After the Buddha’s death, three main Buddhist traditions formed

15. C. The Spread of Buddhism
Theravada, the “Way of the Elders”, is oldest; nirvana attained by individual meditation
The Spring Temple Buddha - located in Henan, China. The statue was completed in At 128 m (420 ft), which includes a 20 m (66 ft) lotus throne, it is the tallest statue in the world. When the 25 m (82 ft) pedestal/building it is placed upon is taken into account, the monument has a total height of 153 m (502 ft). .

16. C. The Spread of Buddhism
Mahayana teaches that people, especially Bodhisattvas, help others find enlightenment
Two of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas

17. C. The Spread of Buddhism
Tibetan is similar to Mahayana, but believe nirvana can be achieved in a single lifetime
Tibetan Buddhism derives from the confluence of Buddhism and Hinduism, which arrived in Tibet from India

18. C. The Spread of Buddhism
Buddhism reached peak in India during reign of Emperor Ashoka

19. C. The Spread of Buddhism
Buddhism spread from India and reached its greatest strength in other parts of Asia

20. Largest Lord Buddha Statues in the World

21. What is Buddhism
Part 1
Part 2

22. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in central Afghanistan. They were dynamited and destroyed in March 2001 by the Taliban .