1. Buddhism
An Introduction

2. Siddhartha Gautama
There is much debate about the birth year of Siddhartha Gautama.
Some put the date around 624 BC
Some religious historians put the date between 567 and 487 BC
More modern scholars place his birth between 502 and 420 BC
In short, no one really knows

3. Siddhartha Gautama
Siddhartha was probably born in Kalinga (now Orissa) in India.

4. Siddhartha Gautama Siddhartha was born a member of the Śãkyas clan.
His father, Suddhodana, was king of the clan
His mother’s name was Maya
Siddhartha was sometimes known as Śãkyamuni, which means “Sage of the Śãkyas.”
He was born into the Kshatriya caste, the second highest level of the caste system.

5. Siddhartha Gautama
It was assumed that Siddhartha would follow in his father’s role as king of the clan.
Siddhartha’s family was Hindu.
Astrologers predicted that he would be either a universal king or a great religious leader.
He was raised in luxury in the hope that he would choose the richness of life as a king.

6. Siddhartha Gautama At 16, Siddhartha was married to Yaśodharã.
When Siddhartha was 29, the couple had a son named Rãhula
At this point, Siddhartha took four journeys (some say these were, instead, four visions).

7. Siddhartha Gautama The four visions …
Siddhartha was deeply disturbed on seeing a helpless, frail old man
He saw a depressed man suffering from disease
He saw a grieving family carrying the body of a dead family member
He saw a serene man, an ascetic, leading a reclusive life of meditation

8. Siddhartha Gautama Making a choice
Siddhartha chose to follow the path of meditation and poverty to find a solution to human suffering
He left the luxuries of his home life, his wife and son, and the promise of leadership in his clan.
Siddhartha adopted the life of a wandering ascetic.

9. Siddhartha Gautama Things didn’t work out at first.
He tried meditation under two different teachers.
He was not satisfied, as he had to stop meditation without any solutions to the problems of suffering and death.

10. Siddhartha Gautama Things didn’t work out at first.
He joined a group of Brahmanists in the forest.
He practiced breath control and intense fasting for six years.
He was often at the brink of death.
He decided that neither extreme would bring him any closer to his goals.

11. Siddhartha Gautama Siddhartha’s realization
He chose to seek a middle path for solutions.
He realized that moderation and meditation would most likely lead him to the answers he sought.

12. Siddhartha Gautama Sitting under the Bodhi tree
Siddhartha, at the age of 35, sat under a tree and started meditating.
During his first night, he saw all of his previous incarnations.
In the second night, he saw how good or bad deeds led to their subsequent incarnations
On the third night, he progressed beyond himself, and attained enlightenment.

13. Siddhartha Gautama Nirvana
Nirvana is the state of being when there are no more reincarnations, a release from the constant birth, death, rebirth cycle.
Siddhartha took the title Buddha, or enlightened one.
He decided to take his teachings to others, and to spread his ideas about the middle path.

14. The Buddha The first sermon
The Buddha found some earlier companions and shared his visions with them.
After his second sermon they, too, achieved enlightenment.

15. The Buddha
Teaching
The teachings of Buddha are known by the term Dharma
He established a system of monks and nuns to continue this teaching
Buddha continued teaching for 45 years, and had tens of thousands of followers.
At the age of 80, the Buddha died, naming no successor, as he felt his teachings would carry on for him.

16. Buddhism The teachings of Buddha
Get out your graphic organizer and follow along.

17. Buddhism The Four Noble Truths All life is marked by suffering
Suffering is brought about by desire
By doing away with suffering one can gain a release to a state of peace & enlightenment, Nirvana
One can achieve this goal by following the Eightfold Path

18. Buddhism
The Eightfold Path
Right Views

19. Buddhism
The Eightfold Path
Right Thinking

20. Buddhism
The Eightfold Path
Right Speech

21. Buddhism
The Eightfold Path
Right Actions

22. Buddhism
The Eightfold Path
Right Way of Life

23. Buddhism
The Eightfold Path
Right Endeavors

24. Buddhism
The Eightfold Path
Right Mindfulness

25. Buddhism
The Eightfold Path
Right Meditation

26. Buddhism
By following Buddha’s teachings, or Dharma, the Buddhist religion has grown into the fourth largest religion in the world.
As there are with most religions, Buddhism has divided into different sects.

27. Buddhism Theraveda Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism Vajrayana Buddhism
The three main groups in Buddhism
Theraveda Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
Vajrayana Buddhism

28. Buddhism Theraveda Buddhism Also known as Southern Buddhism
This branch of Buddhism is most prevalent in India and Southeast Asia
Monks are the primary teachers and leaders of Theraveda Buddhism
Meditation is reserved for the monks
Emphasis is on wisdom, scholarship, and intellectual training.

29. Buddhism Theraveda Buddhism
Worship by priests and monks centers around relics of the Buddha, and statues
Relics are kept in large buildings called Stupas

30. Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism Also known as Northern Buddhism
Mahayana means “Greater Vehicle”
This branch of Buddhism is most prevalent in China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Nepal & Vietnam
Mahayana Buddhism was formed around 100 years after the death of Buddha
Meditation and practice is for everyone
Emphasis is on compassion and an end to world suffering

31. Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism
Goal of practice is to assist others in achieving Nirvana, and to end suffering for all
To be a Bodhisattva is to be destined for enlightenment
One form of Mahayana Buddhism in Japan is Zen
Mahayana Buddhism is the most widely practiced form of Buddhism in the US and the western world.

32. Buddhism Vajrayana Buddhism Mostly, this is Tibetan Buddhism
Vajrayana Buddhists feel they practice a higher form of Buddhism
The practice includes chanting, prayer wheels, yoga, and mandalas
This branch emphasizes the relationship between a student and his guru, or teacher
Since the 11th century, the leader of the Vajrayana Buddhists is the Dalai Lama

33. Buddhism
Vajrayana Buddhism

34. Buddhism Buddhism today
There are approximately 360,000,000 Buddhists in the world today.
These are divided into about 56% Mahayana, 38% Theraveda, and 6% Tibetan.
There are 3-4 million practicing Buddhists in the US

35. Sources
Adherents.net
Religioustolerance.org

36. The End